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

andre1969

can you pop over into the Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous thread for a minute? There are some pics in there I want to see if you can identify.

PF_Flyer

A black Mercedes G500 caught the eye of my 12 year old today. She said, "Boy is that UGLY"

First one I've ever seen 'round these parts!

debaser853

Heading the other direction:

Red Corvair convertable, White top. Looked purty nice, although a bit dangerous at the speed it was going.

Mr_Shiftright

You mean Unsafe At Any Speed? Probably fine, unless it was a 1964 or earlier with deflated rear tires going too fast around a sharp sweeping turn (the magic formula)--then pull over and call 911.

I found an abandoned truck on a remote trail up on Mt. Tamalpais near my house. All that was left was chassis, drivetrain with no cylinder head or any accessories, steering post, and two front fenders...oh, also wheels and tires. No body, dash, cab, lights, etc.

Interesting I was able I think to identify make, model and approx. year without ANY cheating by looking at a name or number of any sort. It was a 1930 or so Chevrolet Confederate Type FF I believe.

Can you figure out how I did it?

Again, there was a ladder chassis, a diff, a driveline, a transmission with the top off, an engine block with no head and stripped clean of any accessory, two front fenders, a steeringn post with no wheel, and front and rear wheels and rotted tires.

There are actually lots of hints in the remains.

davem2001

Saw an old Pinto on the way into work today. It was ahead of me in traffic - I was extra carefull to give it extra space, to avoid a rear-end collision!

debaser853

Mt Tam. You were likely either on a mountain bike or cursing them?

While drinking coffee over lunch, a pale rellow 340D. Was pre -86 (no third stoplight) and in very good shape visibly.

Mr_Shiftright

Actually I was walking to the Tourist Club to get a cold beer! (Sat & Sunday only).

Hints on old truck:

Driveline had a torque tube

Engine was ohv six

Fenders had no headlights in them

Rear tires were duals

andys120

A VW Corrado/VR6 and a Merc 500SEC from the mid 80s in nice shape in the signature
dark gray.

PF_Flyer

Got to crawl all around and even under a 1947 Nash that guy was getting new tires for. Interesting problem they ran into with the rear wheels... the original tires were just a touch narrower than modern replacements. This meant they had to deflate the tires to squeeze the tires under the edg of the fender. Then, once the new tires were mounted, they had to deflate them, get them back on the car and reinflate them. They COULD have disconnected the top of the shocks in the trunk so that the rear axle would drop far enough to let the tires clear the fenders, but even that might not have gotten the job done.

I know, we're getting to the time of year when it's almost light here in the east when we sit down to chat! But what's more fun than ignoring yard work that could be done to chat with the Subaru Crew???

PF Flyer
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andre1969

with my '68 Dart a few years back when I had Firestone put some 225/70/R14 tires on the back. I had had this size tire on the back before, but at this point only had 205/70/R14's back there. The mechanic came back to me and told me the 225/70/14's wouldn't fit. They couldn't get them up in there because of the low rear wheel opening. I couldn't figure out why though, as I had done it before. Turns out the lift this place used raised the car at the suspension, not the body/frame. As a result, the rear axle couldn't hang down, giving enough clearance to put the bigger tires on.

Oh yeah, nowadays if you take an old Mopar with Left-hand threaded lugs to the tire store, make sure you not only tell the mechanic that, but tell them what it means, as well! Once I had to tell the guy 4 or 5 times that is had left-hand threads, but he kept trying to tell me that I had my lugs on too tight. Finally I said "take it off like you'd put it on", and it sunk in.

lemko

...I wonder how many old Mopar owners had the studs broken off by unknowing tire jockeys? Were they still using left-hand threads in 1985 on my Fifth Avenue?

andre1969

but I think they stopped with the left-hand thread stuff in the early 70's. Both of my '79 R-bodies and my '89 Gran Fury were "normal" The end of the stud itself actually has an "L" engraved in it, but over time rust and wear can make it hard to read. Plus, not everybody is going to automatically know what the "L" means, anyway.

kyfdx

Not obscure enough for you?

It was the new diesel E320 CDI.. First one I've seen..

blueguydotcom

Didn't realize until I read this month's Roundel that the Z1s were rare and never even released in the USA.

kyfdx

The only place I've ever seen one is in the BMW museum at the Spartanburg plant.. You saw one on the road? Amazing..

ghulet

The most interesting thing I saw today was a VW Fox hatchback/wagon, in the usual white, actually moving along by its own power. Yesterday I saw an early '90s Mitsubishi Diamante wagon, belching blue smoke and liquid from its tailpipe. :sick:

jlawrence01

***My Mom used to take out savings bonds starting when I was born in 1970 to put something away for me and continued to have them taken out through the 70's, and part of the 80's. ***

And my in-laws bought a lot of CDs in the early '80s at 15%+ during that recession ...

Personally, if I could get 15% from a risk-free investment, I would NOT be in the stock market.

Savings bonds have not done much these days in the low inflation days.

Mr_Shiftright

wrong link! Or was this some kind of trick of yours? :mad:

andre1969

what ended up coming up? I thought I was posting a '56 DeSoto Firedome Seville on eBay. Here it is again, to see if the right thing comes up...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6190&item=4542278008

That other link I posted didn't accidentally go to those nude photographs that I have of Bea Arthur, did they? Or that '77 New Yorker lowrider that had the three scantilly-clad beauties bending over the back?

fintail

Those Diamantes sure are smokers. Every old one I see is like that.

Is that DeSoto interior right? I don't like the wheels anyway. The "Seville" name is interesting though.

Today driving down auto row here, I saw a big semi unloading some late model used cars. Nestled in the pile was a Triumph TR4 and a c.65 Lincoln Continental Convertible, both in white.

kyfdx

It had a historical plate with the year 1956 on it... I'm guessing that is the year of the car... I'll have to do some googling to find something on it..

kyfdx

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosconsumer/0502/23/F02-98070.htm

Lincoln Mark II... in amazingly good shape... white.. though the left front wheel had suspension problems, as it was bouncing up and down..

andre1969

I think that interior is the correct pattern, but not the correct materials. In 1956 the Seville was a budget subseries in the Firedome lineup...a trim package applied to 2- and 4-door hardtops that sold for about $100 less than the regular Firedomes. The interiors were relatively sparse, with lots of vinyl, and not much in the way of fabric. I'm not sure, but I think the pricier Fireflite series was still using leather trim in '56.

One of my cousins used to have a Mitsubishi Diamante wagon. Kind of a forest green color, IIRC. It was a nice looking car. I remember seeing it with a for sale sign in it parked at her grandmother's house a few years ago. Dunno if it smoked or not, but it looked nice sitting still!

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, my bad. I thought you were going to show us a Cadillac. Save for Bea Arthur photos for later, like after I'm dead thank you.

PF_Flyer

I don't know where it came from or where it was going to, but I crossed paths with an AMC Pacer wagon today. My wife had an orange Pacer as a company car before we were married, but that was about the last time I ever saw one on the roads!

ghulet

...drove to the store a few blocks away (should have walked, I know) and saw a yellow Subaru Baja (first I've seen), a white early '90s Mercedes 300D 2.5 Turbo and a black Panoz roadster (Esperanza maybe, kinda looks like an elongated Miata).

seminole_kev

You guys know it drives me batty when someone puts a small block V8 or something in an old Jag, but I do admit that a modern tranny swap out always sounds tempting.

This jag on ebay has had some work in that area. Price is probably too high, but sometimes I'm surprised by some of the bids on ebay. (this one still has zero though)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?viewItem&item=4542951195&fromMakeTrack=tru- - e

Mr_Shiftright

Nice car and probably worth the money if it looks as good in real life as in the photos. For $25K though it should be pretty close to show quality. Any dings or loose threads or greasy spots or shabbiness and we're down to the mid-teens very quickly.

Getting rid of that BW automatic is a GOOD THING.

If it was green I'd offer him $20K.

seminole_kev

that's how mine began its life (with a BW automatic). Somewhere along the way, it was replaced with a Moss box, no syncro on first manual with the hydraulic overdrive. The common manual box for Mk2's but technically for my year ('67) they had switched to a different tranny by then.

blueguydotcom

I saw it on the road in Paris, not the USA. At the time I was annoyed I forgot to take a pic. Now I'm really mad at myself.

fintail

Yesterday I saw the strangest thing...what I believe was a White Autobus. It was a big 30s looking thing with a canvas top, red and black, obviously restored. I saw it while sitting at a light, and it was gone before I could snap a pic. Must be a terror to drive.

It was something like this:

fintail

Ebay time:

Brit and American styling mix....odd but cool in its own way

Now here's a Caddy

I like the styling of these

Why? and with the stock engine...no way

Shifty -mobile of sorts

Neat original 4CV

Can't say much about this

A good donor car if anything

At least its not as bad as a Siata Spring

Possibly the worlds most expensive 131. Auto in a Fiat? What's the point?

andys120

I've actually been in one. Very odd combo of American exterior styling with just enough frump to let you know it's a Brit. Completely British inside tho, except for the A/T.

-Facel Vegas are really cool, another example of the influence of American 50's styling on 60's Euro cars.

-I'm not sure in what way the Siata Spring is any worse than the silly Vignale Gamine. Vignale once made some of the most beautiful cars of the bespoke era.....

Maserati 3500GT Spyder by Vignale



Maserati 3700GT Sebring by Vignale->

Mr_Shiftright

oh course Vignale doesn't always succeed...



Lancia Aurelia Vignale-style, B20, circa 1953

fintail

I guess that Vignale Fiat doesn't look as crude and out of proportion as the Siata, IMO. Still a dopey thing though, makes a Fiat Jolly look credible.

ghulet

....a '79, caburated, funky yellow, two-door, automatic Fiat Brava, not even in super condition, with a starting bid of $2500? That car was worth maybe half that when it was five years old, it certainly hasn't appreciated any since then.

Mr_Shiftright

Brava: It's worth about $10 actually, but I suspect fair market would be about $750.

The Lancia Appia will sell for over $1,000 because Lancia parts are so hard to find. I doubt that even a Lancia nut will restore the car.

DAF: Why are all the Shifty-mobiles in upstate New York?!!! Is there some rust-vortex up there or something?

Mr_Shiftright

Spotted a 1954 Kaiser-Darrin "sports" car grinding off its door handles going around a sharp turn on Mt. Tam in Marin. Rare car, only around 450 made, and probably less than half survive.

fintail

At least it's being driven and isn't rotting away in a garage.

I saw a very nice 60s looking Nissan Patrol today. Also a big gold Sedan Deville, c.73, in pretty decent shape.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah but if it's ugly maybe the garage is better :P

fintail

I am sure someone out there thinks its a good looking car

I mean, some people like fintails and NSUs

lancerfixer

I haven't the words. Please, make it stop.

ghulet

....just who I'd want to buy a seventeen year-old 7-series BMW from, a lottery winner with bad judgment and even worse taste. Sad, about the best looking part of those 7-series was the roofline, totally destroyed by the conversion. I realize there weren't too many factory luxury convertibles available back then, but why not just buy a 560SL or Allante? Or a chopped SEC? Better yet, in '88, this idiot could have bought a brand new 735i AND a 325i convertible for far less than the price of this monstrosity. Jeeeeez.

andre1969

why lottery winners are one of the demographics that are most likely to declare bankruptcy!

fintail

Someone needs to put that poor old thing out of its misery. Send it to Munich, and someone would probably beat you up. I can't decide which part of it I hate most.

lemko

...I would keep my mouth shut, save the big money and live off the interest. You wouldn't notice anything different except maybe the extremely mint version of a 1957-58 Eldorado Brougham in my garage.

Anyway, I spotted two very nice 1978-79 Cadillac Coupe de Villes - one all yellow and the other white with a medium blue half-roof.

kyfdx

My aunt had a '78 Coupe DeVille... Yellow, with matching yellow landau roof, and yellow plaid interior... very tasteful...

She drove it for 8 years, then gave it to my mother, who drove it another 5-6 years.. I can still see my mother driving it, with the headliner drooping down on her head..

Mr_Shiftright

I am physically ill....

I suppose someone might find a Kaiser-Darrin attractive, but they'd be wrong. You can say 'weird" and you can say "unusual", that's fine, but attractive? Based on what?

It would be a great car to take to Design College and to teach young people how not to design a car. (Actually the dashboard is pretty okay, and I like the headlight treatment. Being early fiberglass doesn't help, as it's hard to make the paint look good or the body to feel very solid with old glass bodies.)

True, fintails and NSUs aren't necessarily Miss Americas, but they are at least "coherent"--the car makes sense front to back and side to side and inside and outside. There's a difference between the more subjective "pretty-not pretty" and the more objective "good design-bad design".

If you design a house where the kitchen door opens halfway and hits a cabinet, or the back half of the house is Victorian and the front half looks like a mobile home, well, that is objectively bad design.

So that's my pet peeve, which is now on my lap and I'm petting it.

andre1969

with that Kaiser Darrin is the taillights. They're too big and stick out too far. The whole thing flows okay, but would look better if there was a bit more metal back there and a bit less taillight. And the typical mid 1970's GM 5mph bumper looks better-integrated than therear bumper on this Darrin. And it looks horrible with the top up. Most convertibles and roadsters do, to be fair, but this one just looks extra bad. And from that angle, at least, the front and rear wheel openings don't appear to complement each other very well. I don't think it's bad looking, overall though. I've certainly seen much worse.

Mr_Shiftright

Sure but not being the worst doesn't make it attractive. It just makes it not the worst.

But I don't need to beat up on the poor thing. There are more deserving victims of my design wrath. Or we could all join in and whale on the '58 Buick or Oldsmobile :P