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

andre1969

That is a good looking Olds wagon. I always thought it was curious that Olds and Buick abandoned the big wagon market for awhile in the 60's, leaving it to those extended versions of the midsized cars. Did upper-end wagons start falling from favor, I wonder? Chrysler and Mercury seemed to do fairly well with them.

It also seemed a bit odd that Buick brought the big wagon back for '70, the final year of that design. Seems to me it would have made more sense to either bring it out for '69, or just wait until the '71 redesign. But, I guess GM knew what they were doing!

ab348

I am not so optimistic about that transmission. Not only have I never (except for a couple of posters in the auction above) heard anyone say nice things about it, but in recent years I've heard people say they are almost impossible to repair because everyone who knew how to do that has aged out. They are apparently quite different from most automatic transmissions.

uplanderguy

I thought the '70 Estate Wagon was unusual, too--the second and last year of that styling, to introduce a full-sized wagon.

I'm thinking, but not sure, that Buick and Olds mid-size wagons of that sixties period with no full-size wagons, were a longer wheelbase than Chevrolet and Pontiac mid-size wagons. Maybe B&O thought that was enough.

I'm glad Olds chose to not use "Fiesta" for the '71 full-size wagon.

Of course, in the last few minutes of BaT, bids go up a lot, but at $10K now, that wagon would surely be well-bought.

roadburner

uplanderguy said:

Nice '78 Cutlass Salon Brougham coupe, since we were recently talking about these. This car showed up on my FB feed today.

Nice interior too, but classic example of (I believe) the customer and even the salesman not knowing/remembering that the console was an option separate from bucket seats. Hard for me to believe that someone deliberately would choose buckets with a column shift. I see this semi-regularly across the various GM divisions.

Still, nice car that I like better now than I did when new.

I'm curious how trunk space compared between the slantbacks and the Supreme. Couldn't find a brochure online to compare dimensions.

My local Chrysler Plymouth dealer had a new 1970 AAR Cuda on the shoiwroom floor with a column shift- I couldn't beleieve that was even an option...

uplanderguy

Boy, no kidding on the AAR Cuda!

andre1969

On the subject of trunk space, I seem to recall that all of GM's downsized A/G intermediate sedans coupes of the '1978-88 timeframe had trunk volumes in the 16 cubic foot range. The EPA, which rounds off, has the Aerobacks listed at 16 cubic feet, while the LeMans/Malibu were rated 17. When the Cutlass and Century sedans went to the notchback style for '80, they were still rated at 16 cubic feet, which I guess is understandable, since their rears still sloped off more than a Malibu or LeMans/Bonneville_G.

The EPA also lists the 1980 Cutlass Supreme and Regal coupes at 16 cubic feet. Now in theory, the Aerobacks could have been 15.5 cubic feet and the Supreme 16.4, and they'd both round to 16.

I was surprised that the Aerobacks were so close to the other cars when it came to trunk volume, because that slope definitely looks like it would cut into cargo volume. But, I think it's mostly an optical illusion. The way it slopes, I don't think it cuts into the trunk space any more than it would on the notchback Cutlass or Century/Regal. And the way the decklid rises sharply, it might even give a bit more room in the forward part of the trunk. Not the part over the rear axle hump, but the forward part of the lower floor.

Another oddity, is that the personal luxury coupes have a slightly larger interior volume than the regular coupes. I think this is because cars like the Monte Carlo had a more vertical rear seatback, and that either let them move the bottom cushion further back, or it just lets your butt sit further back on the existing cushion. On the regular coupes, like the Malibu, the rear seatback was much more reclined. As a result, I think the rear legroom measurement is about an inch more. It's been ages since I've been in the back seat of any of these cars, but I remember my old '80 Malibu coupe felt pretty roomy and comfortable in the back. But I had to ride in the back of Mom's '86 Monte Carlo, going to a funeral, and remember that more vertical seatback felt a bit uncomfortable in comparison.

andre1969

It was getting harder to keep that old Alfred Sloane hierarchy intact as the decades wore on, but I think GM was still trying, even with the downsized intermediates. At least, I definitely get the impression of that Cutlass Salon aeroback as being a good deal upscale, compared to my old '80 Malibu. Now it might have been harder to differentiate between a Century and a Cutlass Salon, as by that time Buick and Olds seemed to be turning into an alternate for each other, rather than one really being a step up.

uplanderguy

Yes, Chevy always had bargain-basement Malibus. A base Salon would be more comparable inside to a base Malibu Classic IMHO. Outside, the base Salons were pretty 'base' though. The Salon Broughams had nice interiors, but not the pillow seats I recall on some Supremes back then. I was never a fan of pillowy seats so that's fine.

I rode from western PA to central MO in 1978 with a friend in his parents' new four-door, orangish/copper Cutlass Salon Brougham four-door. The sedan didn't look as nice as the coupes (as always), but I remember being pretty impressed with the car. It was a 260 and I can't recall it being particularly slow (I'm sure it was), but the car was quiet and comfortable, I do remember that. Another friend's parents traded in their '76 Malibu Classic sedan for a new '78 Malibu Classic sedan, both 305's, and I got the same feeling. I've said it here before but I always thought those cars seemed like shrunken big cars, while the Fairmont seemed like an upsized compact. I know the GM's were more expensive.

I think GM did the full-sizes of '77 and later better, and I think some of the midsizes' engineering was arrogant (rear door windows; temp spare tires; clip-on wheel cylinders, etc.) but I think they got the packaging right-on. To me even today, the size and character (if not the styling) is still appropriate and if I could find a black Malibu Classic coupe like the one Car and Driver tested, or a Salon Brougham coupe, in nice/authentic shape, I could be compelled to open my wallet.

sda

While I was out this morning getting treats for our two dogs, an 87 or so white 442 drove by. It looked really nice. It did have a white half vinyl roof which I don’t think fitting for a 442, but still nice to see the car. I was somewhat surprised to see it as it was raining and that is our day’s forecast, rain. and 40F.

texases

Real oddball - Peugeot 205 GTI driving by the neighborhood this morning. Don't think I've ever seen one on the road.

Michaell

texases said:

Real oddball - Peugeot 205 GTI driving by the neighborhood this morning. Don't think I've ever seen one on the road.

Aren't they old enough to be imported now?

stickguy

passed a house with 2 1980s/early 90s vintage Honda products. Neither looked rusty, which is weird up here.

a 2nd generation 4 door integra. Parked next to a 4 door Accord from the late 80s.

fintail

Not so many old cars on the here in the Ohio Valley/upper south or whatever people want to call it. The somewhat shameful road conditions and weather extremes probably work to that. I did see a Fairmont wagon on a flatbed today, by the stance of the Fox, modified.

kyfdx

fintail said:

Not so many old cars on the here in the Ohio Valley/upper south or whatever people want to call it. The somewhat shameful road conditions and weather extremes probably work to that. I did see a Fairmont wagon on a flatbed today, by the stance of the Fox, modified.

Shockingly different from the West Coast, that's for sure. On our trips out West, I'm stunned by the numbers of old cars that have simply disappeared from our area.

tjc78

I know there is a general hate for TikTok here but there is a guy on there that has access to late 70s/early 80s car reviews. Many are from local news stations. Very brief (less than five minutes) and brutally honest.

Latest one was of a first year Citation. Wow if a car rolled off the line like that today. They had extreme hard starting, overspray all over the chrome (maybe a factory repair) and the suspension sounded like it already had 100K on it.

Many of the cars we talk about here have been featured. Very cool pieces of history.

Citation
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7NcjCj/

78 Cutlass
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR7No9kB/

explorerx4

There are many reviews by Bob Mayer on YT.

uplanderguy

That '64 Olds wagon brought $25,250. Nice car, nice sale price for the seller.

uplanderguy

The '71 Caddy I had posted about a few days ago, only brought $12,250. That broken front fender nameplate kind-of slaps me in the face, LOL.

I did post a question there, asking if the brushed-metal trim in the car, which I like, was really metal or plastic. Seller replied "It's metal, not plastic. This is a Cadillac".

I replied, "Nice. The more-expensive Eldorado and Fleetwood models had plastic woodgrained trim inside though".

uplanderguy

Last BaT I'll post, but here's the '79 Buick Century Turbo coupe that I had posted a pic of from the 'All Original Cars' FB page a week or so ago. I'll be curious what it brings. The original window sticker is shown; $7,800 new.

I do wonder how old those odd whitewall tires are!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-buick-century/

tjc78

I never knew that Century turbo existed. Those segmented whitewalls are from the early 90s. They were on another car recently posted here.

ab348

That Century is mighty tired. I’m amazed it’s still on the road given that it lives in Maine. The rear frame rails on those were biodegradable up in the salt belt. Too bad GM used such poor quality plastics on those. Probably not many around these days though.

uplanderguy

Always struck me that red interiors of that era were the worst for fading into different shades. Amazingly, seems that black interiors do it the least.

fintail

Michaell said:

texases said:

Real oddball - Peugeot 205 GTI driving by the neighborhood this morning. Don't think I've ever seen one on the road.

Aren't they old enough to be imported now?

Yep. Have been for about 10 years now.

They are pretty collectible in Europe, good ones maybe getting pricey enough to lose appeal to hipster/flipper types.

fintail

I have noticed very little pre-2000 material that wasn't either obviously a cherished car, or a neglected mess. I'll go back west and see 90s and sometimes 80s material still being used as ordinary old used cars.

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

Not so many old cars on the here in the Ohio Valley/upper south or whatever people want to call it. The somewhat shameful road conditions and weather extremes probably work to that. I did see a Fairmont wagon on a flatbed today, by the stance of the Fox, modified.

Shockingly different from the West Coast, that's for sure. On our trips out West, I'm stunned by the numbers of old cars that have simply disappeared from our area.

fintail

explorerx4 said:

There are many reviews by Bob Mayer on YT.

I was going to say, I thought that was the Florida guy. Here's one for Andre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP9429qtWTc

ab348

fintail said:

I have noticed very little pre-2000 material that wasn't either obviously a cherished car, or a neglected mess. I'll go back west and see 90s and sometimes 80s material still being used as ordinary old used cars.

That really hit home for me back in the mid-90s when I visited Idaho, my first time in the high desert. I looked out my hotel room window the first morning and down in the parking lot was a tradesman unloading his tools from his car to do a job in the hotel. He was driving a faded, somewhat beat up but original-looking '49 Ford. Couldn't believe someone was using it as a daily driver. Never see that here.

kyfdx

ab348 said:

fintail said:

I have noticed very little pre-2000 material that wasn't either obviously a cherished car, or a neglected mess. I'll go back west and see 90s and sometimes 80s material still being used as ordinary old used cars.

That really hit home for me back in the mid-90s when I visited Idaho, my first time in the high desert. I looked out my hotel room window the first morning and down in the parking lot was a tradesman unloading his tools from his car to do a job in the hotel. He was driving a faded, somewhat beat up but original-looking '49 Ford. Couldn't believe someone was using it as a daily driver. Never see that here.

My grandfather drove a '49 Ford until (checks notes) 1968.

uplanderguy

A '49 club coupe (I think they were called; shorter roofline) is still very sharp to my eyes. I can see how it would've stopped people in its tracks back then.

stickguy

@kyfdx said:
My grandfather drove a '49 Ford until (checks notes) 1968.

Shows how much progress slowed down. At least design wise. That 49 must have looked (and driven) like an antique by 1968, but it would be like a 2004 today which would be a perfectly normal car.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

@kyfdx said:

My grandfather drove a '49 Ford until (checks notes) 1968.

Shows how much progress slowed down. At least design wise. That 49 must have looked (and driven) like an antique by 1968, but it would be like a 2004 today which would be a perfectly normal car.

Exactly.. I remember driving from his house in the country to the little village about 4 miles away. It felt like running moonshine.. Of course, at six years old, I'm standing in the front floorboard. Perfectly safe!

fintail

Thinking of the passage of time and how design progress slowed, I remember taking a road trip with my dad in the summer of 93, in his 68 Fairlane (car didn't miss a beat). It was a white car with medium width whitewalls, so it had some presence - I remember it received numerous compliments. Today's age equivalent would be a car from 1998 - nobody would care.

uplanderguy

Funny, I know you're a good bit younger than me but we are in complete agreement on a car from 1998!

andre1969

On the subject of design progress, I wonder if people who really aren't into cars can still look at two different cars from the past, and tell which one is newer? Now obviously, throw up a model T and a '57 Chevy, and even Mary Ingalls would be able to tell the difference.

But, awhile back there was this guy at work, who had seen both my '76 LeMans and my '79 5th Avenue. He didn't know what year either one was, and had actually assumed the LeMans was newer! That surprised me, considering the LeMans was a style that dated to 1973, and had just been facelifted for '76 to make it look newer. But the 5th Ave, even though you could trace it to the 1971 intermediates (and some even like to say the 1962 "Plucked Chickens"), had a new body that at least made it look as modern as its 1979 competition, even if it was riding on and older platform.

Admittedly though, nowadays I can't always tell what year, or generation even, a lot of newer cars are. A friend of mine bought a 2011 Kia Sportage a couple years ago. I knew it was a Kia, but seeing it for the first time from a distance, he had to tell me what year and model it was. And even now, typing this, I had to stop and think for a few seconds, because at first I wanted to type "Sorrento", but then I knew that wasn't right. And then it took a minute for the word "Sportage" to form in my mind. I had a Sportage for a rental when I was in Aruba in 2019. I forget the exact year, but it was probably what was current at the time. I googled a 2019 Sportage and it looked like that. But I swear, to look at it and my friend's 2011, I swear I can't tell which one looks "newer". My friend's, I would say, looks more conservatively styled, but not outdated.

I wonder if there will ever come a time that a new vehicle does arrive, that makes the outgoing model look outdated? Like a 55 Chevy vs '54, 57 Chrysler vs '56, '77 Impala vs '76, Taurus vs LTD, etc? Or, do some of these younger generations pick up on the design cues, that I really don't?

uplanderguy

I wonder if there will ever come a time that a new vehicle does arrive, that makes the outgoing model look outdated? Like a 55 Chevy vs '54, 57 Chrysler vs '56, '77 Impala vs '76, Taurus vs LTD, etc? Or, do some of these younger generations pick up on the design cues, that I really don't?

Personally, I'm sad to say that I think those days are gone!

Round-about, today I went to my favorite fast-food joint for lunch and parked next to a Volt (not Bolt). Most Volts I see are the original style; this was a newer one although don't know what year. It was shiny-clean, and in a dark (though not deep-dark) metallic blue, with polished wheels and some chrome trim. It struck me as handsome, compared to the usual default Prius.

sda

I thought GM had the right idea with the Volt. Electric propulsion with a gas engine as back up. Convenience and range. They were a different yet handsome car and not cartoonish. I often wondered how much more economical and added range a diesel engine as back up would have made. Think of the torque the electric motor and diesel engine would provide. They might twist the frame in half!

kyfdx

I think the biggest problem with the Volt is that GM tried to hide exactly what the drivetrain was doing, in their marketing. Was it a full EV, with a gas engine as backup? Or, was the gas engine a generator that only charged the battery? They were never clear about it. So, when EVs started becoming popular, they sort of got left behind.

I think they are great looking sedans, though.

andre1969

I kinda liked the idea of the original Volt, as well. Full electric initially, and then the gasoline engine only kicks in once you need it. It would basically be like an EV for something like 95% of my driving, as long as I remembered to plug it in at night.

And yeah, even though you knew it was different, by its style, it wasn't weird, in the sense of your typical hybrid. That was actually my biggest beef with some of the initial hybrids...they just looked too oddball to me. If I was going to get a hybrid, it would've been something that looked like a "normal" car, like an Accord hybrid. Back in 2016, I briefly considered checking out a used Altima hybrid that was for sale locally. I can't remember why I lost interest, but I think I posted on Edmund's about it, and some people who are more knowledgeable than me about them said the Altima hybrid wasn't the greatest. And, I've heard Nissans from that era often don't age all that well, at least not as well as their predecessors, that people seem to swear by.

I remember reading that one reason they made hybrids look so different from regular sedans is because the early adopters of them were often the types who liked to virtue signal. I remember some article where a woman smugly said "I WANT people to notice that it's different. Because I WANT people to know I care about the environment!" Made me think yeah darlin', I care about the environment too, that's why I planted some trees That's why I also let part of my yard return to nature. Well, okay that part was so that I had more privacy, and less grass to cut, but still, the environment benefitted from it, too. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

texases

Plenty of 'normal' looking hybrids to be had, for years. Mine's a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The Volt was really more of a plugin hybrid, like the 'Prime' versions of the Toyota hybrids, along with several others. I'd like to try a Rav4 Prime, but there are none to be had near me.

kyfdx

texases said:

Plenty of 'normal' looking hybrids to be had, for years. Mine's a 2011 Lincoln MKZ. The Volt was really more of a plugin hybrid, like the 'Prime' versions of the Toyota hybrids, along with several others. I'd like to try a Rav4 Prime, but there are none to be had near me.

A friend has a RAV4 Prime. When they bought it, the dealer said it was the first one sold in KY. She has about an 18 mile commute, each way. Free chargers at work, but she doesn't use it, because it's outside, and she wants to park in the parking garage.

But, she says she makes the 36 mile round trip fully on electric. (which means she could drive it for free, if she charged at work).

texases

And another benefit - the Rav4 Prime has 300 hp. Plenty of scoot!

ab348

texases said:

And another benefit - the Rav4 Prime has 300 hp. Plenty of scoot!

Cheapest one here, available only with a black cloth interior, is $53K in worthless Canadian dollars. Go for the high-zoot XSE Tech and is is over $60K. Lot of money for a RAV4.

fintail

andre1969 said:

On the subject of design progress, I wonder if people who really aren't into cars can still look at two different cars from the past, and tell which one is newer? Now obviously, throw up a model T and a '57 Chevy, and even Mary Ingalls would be able to tell the difference.

But, awhile back there was this guy at work, who had seen both my '76 LeMans and my '79 5th Avenue. He didn't know what year either one was, and had actually assumed the LeMans was newer! That surprised me, considering the LeMans was a style that dated to 1973, and had just been facelifted for '76 to make it look newer. But the 5th Ave, even though you could trace it to the 1971 intermediates (and some even like to say the 1962 "Plucked Chickens"), had a new body that at least made it look as modern as its 1979 competition, even if it was riding on and older platform.

Admittedly though, nowadays I can't always tell what year, or generation even, a lot of newer cars are. A friend of mine bought a 2011 Kia Sportage a couple years ago. I knew it was a Kia, but seeing it for the first time from a distance, he had to tell me what year and model it was. And even now, typing this, I had to stop and think for a few seconds, because at first I wanted to type "Sorrento", but then I knew that wasn't right. And then it took a minute for the word "Sportage" to form in my mind. I had a Sportage for a rental when I was in Aruba in 2019. I forget the exact year, but it was probably what was current at the time. I googled a 2019 Sportage and it looked like that. But I swear, to look at it and my friend's 2011, I swear I can't tell which one looks "newer". My friend's, I would say, looks more conservatively styled, but not outdated.

I wonder if there will ever come a time that a new vehicle does arrive, that makes the outgoing model look outdated? Like a 55 Chevy vs '54, 57 Chrysler vs '56, '77 Impala vs '76, Taurus vs LTD, etc? Or, do some of these younger generations pick up on the design cues, that I really don't?

I don't think we will ever have the design quantum leaps that happened in a single year or so as took place in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, or even the decade quantum leaps that were the norm - we might be hitting the point where everything has been done, so designers are just mashing up old ideas. Many 10 year old cars today aren't insanely different from new models.

On that mistaken age note, when I was a kid, I thought W110 fintails (single headlight) were older than W111/112 fintails (stacked quad lights). This was because Pontons had single lights, while later cars had stacked lights. MB heirarchy had the quad light being the higher model, and the higher model fintails debuted first.

texases

ab348 said:

texases said:

And another benefit - the Rav4 Prime has 300 hp. Plenty of scoot!

Cheapest one here, available only with a black cloth interior, is $53K in worthless Canadian dollars. Go for the high-zoot XSE Tech and is is over $60K. Lot of money for a RAV4.

Very true. No way it makes economic sense, but compared to an EV it's not so bad, and more versatile. I'm also curious about the Audi Q5 e, same kind of vehicle, 362 hp, runs on premium, but I wouldn't have to use much.

andre1969

One car I've been kinda curious about, of all things, is the Volvo S90, or whatever they call their current "big" sedan. It caught my eye because one day, I was looking at (don't laugh) Avalons on cars dot com, and a 2019 popped up at the local Volvo dealer in Annapolis. And, when I looked at it, the website pushed a few other models at that dealer, and they were all those Volvos.

I like it because, from the angle they showed it at least, it made me think of a Buick. Take out those those diagonal bars on either side of the logo, paste a tri-shield in there, and voila! 2023 Park Ave!

I'm going to have to get something eventually, because the Regal has been standing at Death's door for some time now, but just won't ring the bell. And the kind of cars I like the most are getting a bit long in the tooth, to be a daily driver. For instance, at this point I don't think of a 2011 Panther as much of an upgrade from my Regal, as a 12 year old car can still be troublesome, and the ones out there seem to be getting miled up. The Avalon doesn't exactly blow me away, but I am getting used to that style.

But, I'll admit, that Volvo does have me curious, at least. And, it comes in some kind of mild hybrid form.
I have a feeling any kind of new/newish car I get is going to be a culture shock to me. I've driven my friend's 2017 Murano a few times, and it feels "alien" to me. And, here's a weird one. My uncle bought a 2016 Colorado, nearly seven years ago. Well, the other day I went out to his place to haul some stuff away, and had to move his truck. At one point, I put it in reverse, and was like "Holy CHRYSLER, it has a backup camera!" I've driven his truck a few times, but I guess I just never had to put it in reverse!

Anyway, I guess just like anything else, you get used to stuff. If I threw my buddy with the Murano, the keys to my DeSoto, and asked him to move it, it would most likely feel alien to him (why does it have TWO keys, which way do you put it in, whaddya mean I have to pump the gas pedal and pray that it starts, what are these typewriter key looking things, why is there no "Park", and where's the rearview mirror...oh wait, why's it on the dash?) So, it's all relative, I guess.

I'll also have to get more accustomed to the idea of those tiny little engines that put out a lot of hp. In my mind, I guess I just keep thinking that something that small has to work too hard to move a big car, so how can it be reliable? But, apparently they work well, because if they didn't, I'm sure there would be a backlash against them by now.

fintail

Those Regals seem to be another GM that will run poorly for longer than many cars will run at all. Maybe nostalgia or simply today's dumb timeline, but I think the years have been kind to some GM products of that era.

For those Volvos, some started out in rental fleets, watch out if that kind of thing concerns you.

No doubt there will be a generation of drivers soon who would be mystified at older analog cars. Fintail would be there too - vertical speedometer, somewhat unusual column shift, mechanical FI starting procedure, umbrella handbrake handle. wing windows, airplane type lap belts etc.

tjc78

I had a 2019 S60 and have driven an S90. Great sedans and very roomy. The 90 drives the same but has a cavernous back seat. @qbrozen has a current generation S90.

andre1969

Yeah, I think time has definitely been kind to the W-body. I didn't really care for them when they came out, mostly because of that cramped back seat. What kind of common core math they used to come up wtih 36.9" of back seat legroom is beyond me. I did like the Intrigue and Grand Prix (nicer versions with the grille between the headlights, rather than below). But the Century/Regal, meh. And when the Impala came out, it bugged me because it was on a longer wheelbase than the Regal, but still cramped in back.

But, these days it's not that often I have passengers in the back. And, I still remember the day my Dad and I saw this car on the lot. There was an '02 Intrepid next to it, for $2,000 less, but about double the miles (around 38K vs 19.5K). As much as I liked my old Intrepid, and this '02 was cheap, the Regal did seem like a lot more car, for not much more money. I also notice that its driving position is better. The Intrepid had a bad dead pedal location that was almost useless to me, so I'd usually sit with my left foot flat on the floor, with my shin bone roughly perpendicular to my thigh. And the floor wasn't totally flat, so my ankle would be slightly twisted. And on the passenger side, the front of the floor was roughly even with the dead pedal, so you really couldn't stretch out at all. The seats were low, too, and didn't have any lower back support.

The Regal corrects most of those issues, although I notice that I still tend to sit with my left leg in the same position, out of habit, so I can't even remember if it has a dead pedal or not. I also notice that, after awhile, my tailbone does hurt just a bit. But, after nearly 21 years, it's possible the seat cushion could be collapsing, I guess. Or, maybe I'm just getting old! I'm almost 53, where in contrast I was only 29 when I bought that Intrepid.

I still see Regals on a fairly regular basis, which makes me think the 3.8 was a better engine than the 3.1 they used in the Century. They made a LOT more Centurys over that generation, so you'd think they would have had a better survival rate, but that doesn't seem to be the case. In contrast though, I can't remember the last time I saw an Intrepid/Concorde/300M from that generation, unless it was something that was customized, and being shown off at the Carlisle PA Mopar show.

I really don't see that many Panthers anymore, either, but I think their durability might have actually been their downfall. In later years, a lot of them were pushed into police/taxi fleets, and I think even the civilian models, as they got traded, fell into taxi service, and that used them up. They're also popular among the local wanna-be hoodlums, and I suspect they lead a hard life there, and either get ragged out, wrecked, or impounded. My mechanic had even warned me, about the Panthers, that if I got one, I might not have it long, because there's probably someone who might want it more than me, and either steal it or try to carjack me for it. Hopefully, he's just being melodramatic, but, these days, who knows?

andre1969

Oh, as for these Volvos that popped up, they were new cars, at least. Although I don't think I'd be too concerned about one being a formal rental car. The Regal was one of those. And these days, I've only been averaging maybe 3-4K miles per year, since COVID and the whole work from home thing, so I imagine any car I buy will succumb from old age (plastics, electronics, etc failing) rather than being worn out from high mileage.

Another thing that's going to be a shock for me, I know, is the prices of modern cars. The most I ever paid for a car was my Intrepid, at $22,389 out the door. The Ram was only $20,751. But, even factoring in inflation, I just have a problem wrapping my mind around these higher prices. Even though, that $22,389 I paid for my Intrepid in 1999 is probably the equivalent of $40k these days. And any $40K car, I'm sure, is going to be leaps and bounds over that Intrepid.

fintail

Yeah, Intrepids and kin are very rare anymore, and it seems locally I see as many 1st gen as 2nd gen cars (which is very few indeed). GMs and Fords of the era survived better, but that might not be saying much. I still see period Taurus and GM competition, although they are usually looking pretty rough. And indeed, Panthers didn't just get used, but used up.

Speaking of Regal, this viral thing, apparently a movie ad, popped up recently, my first thought was "is that a GS?":

imidazol97

Cars that were a radical change from one year to the next was mentioned a few posts up.

I recall how shocked I was at 17 years of age to see the rear of the 1961 Oldsmobile in comparison
to the previous 1960 olds and most other cars' designs. I had walked by the local town's Oldsmobile garage to see the sheets pulled off of the new model on the introduction day.

I was absolutely appalled at how "nothing" it was. Passive? Effete? Oldsmobiles were a step-up car above the Chev to Pontiac step for many people in the farming community/small industrial town. And it looked like "this."

I got back in my 1957 Ford with fins and left.

I can't recall I've seen a 1961 Olds at a car show or cruise-in ever. I'd have to check pics,
but I don't think I've seen one at the Ohio Central Oldsmobile only annual car show.

1960


1961