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

fintail

Euro model of some kind?

andys120

Darned if I've ever seen that configuration but hey, you live in California, if you haven't seen a particular type of VW before there it's prolly the only one.

gsemike

A used car lot by me just got in a Chrysler TC by Masserati. It's very unusual for this lot because they usually deal with very middle of the road cars. Their selection usually looks like it's just made up of off fleet cars and dealer trade ins picked up at auction. That Tc is not really a good looking car at all. It just looks like a squared off LeBaron.

chuck1959

That's exactally why it DID NOT SELL!

Mr_Shiftright

well it IS a middle of the road car, so it's found a good home. I mean, what we have here is basically a Chrysler K-car with nice upholstery and a Maserati cylinder head. The "by Maserati" refers primarily to it being assembled from a knock-down in Italy, not that it has very much Maserati genes in it. It doesn't.

It gets worse--the last cars had Mitsubishi V-6s.

Everyone in the TC club thinks they are worth a lot of money, but the rest of the world thinks they are worth $7,500 all day long and forevermore.

fintail

Is it coming or going?

Shifty-mobile

DeSoto in a nice color

I think these 4 door HTs are unusual

Pimpy

Supercool Imperial Airflow limo

Neat Olds wagon

"Bicentennial Edition" Andre-mobile

I've NEVER seen or heard of a hearse version of this...freaky

andys120

Ive NEVER seen or heard of a hearse version of this...freaky

Nor have I but I've seen Buick and Olds based hearses and Pontiac wagon-based ambulances weren't that uncommon so I guess a Pontiac wagon based hearse is a logical extension.

gsemike

With the snow still falling here today, I saw someone driving around in a 64 to 66 Mustrang convertible. The car needed a resto. It appeared basically straight but had some pretty bad rust on the quarters. Ultimately, I guess that it's road worthy since it was being driven in a snowstorm! It was pretty windy too so I suppose that it couldn't have been too comfortable inside of a 40 yo unrestored convertible.

Mr_Shiftright

I like that Airflow Limo. The Airflows drive very nicely for a 30s car.

andre1969

how much K-car the TC by Maserati actually has in its body structure, but there's a reason they look so much like the LeBaron. The TC got mothballed for awhile, and the stylists decided to use its cues for the '87 LeBaron coupe/convertible. Then, at the last minute, they decided to go ahead with the TC, but by then the LeBaron was already out, and stole most of its thunder for like half the price.

IIRC, the Mitsu 3.0 was always available. I think if you got the stick shift TC you got the Chrysler 2.2 with a Maserati head. If you got the automatic, you were stuck with the 3.0.

andre1969

I ran across that '58 Firedome on eBay the other day...sweet car, and I really like that subdued color on it. Also shows how widely varying the automotive scene was in 1958. Just compare it to an Olds, Buick, Mercury, Edsel, or Packardbaker to see the difference!

That '56 Fireflite hardtop sedan is really nice too. I always liked the way they made the rear window roll down on those...the way it took the quarter window down with it. The reason they did that is because they used the same roofline as the 4-door pillared sedan, so they had to deal with the regular sedan doors, and the quarter window. The '55-56 GM hardtop sedans used a unique roofline, and I think the doors were different too, instead of just being modified pillared sedan doors.

That Talisman Caddy actually looks tasteful in that soothing shade of blue. Usually when I've seen these at car shows they're in some godawful earth-tone.

I've seen a '62 Pontiac hearse (forget who made it) and a '61 Pontiac Ambulance that was built by Superior, but never a '59. I know I've seen literature too where these things were marketed to the public as "Vacation Specials". Kinda ghoulish, I think, to market what's essentially a hearse, as something to go on vacation in! I guess your final vacation? :surprise: AFAIK, both of these cars are still down in Leon's Junkyard in Culpeper VA, off Route 29, if anybody wants to rescue them.

Oh, and I like that '76 Olds 98. One of these days, I'd like to have one of those mastodon 4-door hardtops from the '70's. Something like a '75-76 98/Electra/DeVille, or a '76-78 NYer.

Mr_Shiftright

Chrysler TC by Mitsurati!!

They did this whole car backwards. It should have had an Italian designed bod, suspension and interior, then ship it to Detroit for American air conditioning and a hemi-V8. It could have been the Maserati TC by Chrysler and everyone would have been happier. Right now some of the Italian/ American hybrids (ISO, Italia, etc.) are at least worth something.

andre1969

what, exactly, is an ISO Grifo? I have a little blue Matchbox toy of one. A couple months ago, My Granddad gave me a bunch of Matchbox/assorted toy cars that us grandkids used to play with when we were little. I remember, as a kid, I used to think the ISO Grifo was some kind of Pontiac, because of the split grille.

I've never seen a real one in person, just pics on the internet.

Oh yeah, today I also saw an old VW 2-door sedan. I forget the exact name, but based on the same style as those old squareback wagons and fastback styles. It was red, with old-style mag wheels, looked to be in nice shape.

Mr_Shiftright

It's a shortened version of the Rivolta chassis with a Bertone body and big V8. Kinda neat looking car, perhaps a bit over the top. You could order up to 400 HP and I'm told you could actually drive it and live to tell about it. They were made 1965-74 and they only made 504 of them. ISO was originally a motorcycle company and made the Isetta bubblecar!

For a full-bore Iso 427 V-8 in top shape you might have to cough up $85,000 or so today.

kyfdx

Ford Escort EXP.. I'm amazed that any are left.. It didn't look too bad.. The domestic sheetmetal was a lot better than the imports in the '80s.. That might have been the only advantage they had..

Mr_Shiftright

62-63 Corvair coupe, running under its own power, not too badly, but it gagged you with hydrocarbons and smoke (typical Corvair issues---loading up on the dual carbs and pushrod seals dripping onto heater boxes...)

andre1969

I saw a few interesting vehicles. I went out with one of my buddies who's shopping for a new SUV, and has it narrowed down to an Xterra and an Equinox (odd comparison I know, but strangely they both have their strong points, and the 'Nox is a stronger contender than I thought it would be! :confuse: )

Anyway, I went on the test drive when my buddy drove the Equinox, and on the test drive route saw a white '66-67 Charger. I'm not enough of a fanboy of these cars to tell the difference between the two years. Looked to in okay condition, like a daily driver that's been in use forever. Faded paint, a little rough around the edges, but could probably go on for years.

Then, at a used car lot, a '63-64 Caddy sedan. Didn't get a good look at it other than the roofine and the fins. Also spotted a green '65-66 Chrysler 4-door sedan for sale along the side of the road. Looked like it was in decent shape, although it had a tint on the windows I didn't care for. It was the "6-window" sedan style, with the little windows in the C-pillar. Didn't get a good enough look to see if it was a Newport or NYer though.

Oh, and on the way back home, as I was getting on the highway, I merged in front of an '81-82 Granada 4-door. Nothing special, but it looked like it was in good shape, and not something you see everyday. And then when I got almost home (actually passing the mall where the Papa John's is I used to work) I spotted an R-body NYer. I think it was a '79 5th Ave, as it had that 2-tone creme paint like mine does. This one looked like it had those spoked alloys off of a Mirada or Cordoba. And this sucker looked like it was in VERY good shape. The landau roof looked like it had been replaced recently.

toomanyfumes

There's a factory about a mile from my house, my sister-in-law works there. Someone there is driving a battered, white corvair. I see it there every day, so it must be their daily driver. Only one I see around,ever. I also saw that black Studebaker Gran Turismo again yesterday. It looked a little rougher close up, an older gent driving it. Must also be a daily driver, odd cars for winter driving.

stickguy

while looking out a window at work 9checking out the parking lot during a meeting, what wlse would you do?), spotted a '83-'85 Celica GTS (2 door style) in the lot, that I hadn't noticed before. Looked pretty clean from a distance.

While I was checking it out, a somewhat worn loking '64ish Impala 2 door sedan drove by on the road past the parking lot. Again not something you see everyday.

ghulet

I saw a rickety, fairly basic '86-ish Celica GT (no alloys, probably 13s, maybe 14s) hatchback puttering along the interstate the other day. Looked really small. Also saw a mid-80s (pre-87 anyway) Saab 900, non-turbo, at the market, in crummy condition. Don't see those too much any more, either.

andre1969

on Monday, in addition to those other cars I mentioned, I also saw a '79-83 era Toyota Corolla convertible! I'm sure that sucker must've been rare! I'm guessing these were a conversion done by ASC or something? It actually looked pretty good, based on the little hardtop coupe style.

stickguy

in my parking lot, a nice looking Red MG B convertible. Not sure of the year, looked late 60's (chrome bumpers all around). Haven't seen one of those on the road in ages.

Mr_Shiftright

you mean a Celica convertible?

andre1969

No, this one was definitely a Corolla, and looked like a full convertible. I've seen Celica conversions before though; I think they were called "Sunchasers", or some motorhome-sounding name like that? IIRC the Celica had a removable targa top, a fixed portion of roof that combined the B-pillars, and then the back area of it dropped down, convertible-style.

andre1969

No, this one was definitely a Corolla, and looked like a full convertible. I've seen Celica conversions before though; I think they were called "Sunchasers", or some motorhome-sounding name like that? IIRC the Celica had a removable targa top, a fixed portion of roof that combined the B-pillars, and then the back area of it dropped down, convertible-style.

stickguy

there was also a later model normal convertible (I think the sunchaser was a pre-'83 vintage model, but I could be wrong) from the mid-80s series. I also seem to recall seeing a Corolla conversion at some point.

nolid5

Did it look like this?

stickguy

that's a sunchaser.

andre1969

that's the Sunchaser, which was around 1979-81 and based on the Celica. I tried looking on the 'net for a good picture of the 1979-83 hardtop, but all I could find was this abused beast. Anyway, it looked like a convertible version of this.

fintail

Kind of odd....I saw a Supercharged Previa today, with the sunroof in the back.

michaellno

I saw a S/C Previa on my way home from work yesterday or the day before .. on top of that, it was an AllTrac!

jrosasmc

How much do you think those old Celica Sunchaser convertibles would fetch right now, tops?

Speaking of obscure I saw a mid-90s Land Rover Defender 90 on the highway today as I was going about my route for UPS. I can't see why people would pay big bucks for that primitive vehicle that was based off the older-style Land Rovers from the '60s and '70s. You know this better than I do Shifty...are those older Rovers collectible right now?

fintail

I think the Previa I saw might have been an All-Trac too. I only saw it for a second, but it had wheels at least. Anyway, it was kind of a gray-green and was in pretty good condition. I always kind of liked those things in a weird way.

Mr_Shiftright

Not much....nobody cares about them, so same price as a coupe I would guess....

SPOTTED:

A Chevrolet "turbo sprint" whatever that is/was.

jrosasmc

I know what Chevrolet Turbo Sprints look like- they were the so-called "performance model" of the humble, wimpy-looking Sprint economy car. Yeah, their puny 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine was outfitted with a turbocharger, boosting horsepower to a mere 70. They were only made in '87 and '88.

explorerx4

previa... luckily i killed one instead of it killing my family. i still don't like those things.

andre1969

at the Toyota dealer picking up my uncle's Corolla, I saw an old Isuzu pickup. Not sure of the year, but it was an extended-cab model, the type where the rear side window was really tall, and had a sill below the door window sill. I'd guess it was mid-late 80's? It was after the LUV/P'UP style, but looked like it was WAY before GM started rebadging S-10's for Isuzu.

bumpy

I saw an old Isuzu pickup. Not sure of the year, but it was an extended-cab model, the type where the rear side window was really tall, and had a sill below the door window sill.

1988-90 or 91-93, depending on the front grill, and '93s had the third brakelight. Isuzu gave up on having Subaru assemble most of their pickups (I think the carb 2.3s in that last generation were all imported) in favor of rebadged S-10s in 1994.

jrosasmc

Subaru assembled most of Isuzu's trucks? When and where did that happen?

andre1969

thanks for the year range, Bumpy. The one I saw looked like the '88-90 style. Looked just like this.

andre1969

thanks for the year range, Bumpy. The one I saw looked like the '88-90 style. Looked just like this.

bumpy

Isuzu made arrangements at the end of the '80s to have the Subaru plant in Indiana build their pickup and the Amigo and later the Rodeo, to circumvent the chicken tax and the rising yen of the time.

As a result, the US-built Isuzu pickups have some differences from their Japanese counterparts: 4wd-compatible front hubs from the Amigo with six bolts holding the dust cover versus 2wd-only hubs and a press-on dust cap on the Japanese pickups, different mounting points for the front spindles, a 1/2" alternator belt versus 3/8", and probably some other stuff.

andre1969

don't know why I'm repeating myself this morning. Must be too much coffee? :confuse:

michaellno

I really liked those Isuzu SpaceCabs. My ex bought an '87 P'up before we got married. Regular cab, 2WD, stick shift. Not a bad little ride, though room inside was pretty limited.

I ended up driving it quite a bit as my daily commuter for a couple of years, including a stint where I had to commute to LA (60 miles one way) - not much fun with that long clutch travel and a gearshift that would travel from the dash (in 1st gear) to the seat (2nd gear).

Ended up selling it when we had our first (and only) child.

bumpy

My dad had a stripper '85 P'up (and I mean stripper, he put in the radio and speakers himself), and it had more leg room than the '98 S-10 he replaced it with (mostly because of the tremungous dash in the Chevy). It also had the diesel engine, so mileage was in the low 40s even with the 4-speed.

nolid5

brought out a pristine 80's Chevy Citation today :P

imidazol97

at a local steakhouse-LoneStar.

How rare are these (other than in Dayton, Ohio). Nearest dealer appears to be Indianapolis or Columbus.

prosa

I spotted two real exotics and one semi-exotic today. First up was a white Bentley Continental GT with New Jersey plates parked at the curb outside the Manhattan building where I work. Definitely what I'd call understated elegance, not at all flashy, and a bit smaller than what I would've expected. Though I'll have to say that the rims were rather garish (I initially thought they were spinners, of all things) and out of character with the vehicle's overall appearance. There's a well-known hip hop radio station in the building and it wouldn't surprise me if the Bentley belonged to some performer being interviewed.
The semi-exotic, spotted a few hours later while walking around Soho at lunch, was an Audi A8 in the W12 version, also in white. The nerdy-looking driver was handing it over to the attendant of a small parking lot, I guess he's a trusting sort Like the Bentley, the Audi looked sophisticated but not show-offish.
Finally, just a few minutes after the Audi, I spotted the piece de resistance slowly driving past, namely a Maybach in a weird two-toned grey and blue color. It was only the second time I've seen one in the flesh, and the first sighting barely counted as the vehicle was at least a hundred feet away from me and I had only a quick glimpse. Today's Maybach, however, was moving very slowly in the heavy traffic on Spring Street and wasn't much more than ten feet away from me. It was a literal head turner as pedestrians swiveled to gape at it. Unlike the Bentley or Audi, the Maybach was far from being understated, in fact I'd have to say it was a true garish monstrosity, you might say the non-SUV counterpart of the Hummer H1 Alpha!
Oh, for all the talk about America's health care crisis, it's apparent that physician earnings aren't suffering; the Maybach had MD plates

dacsiv

I was recently in Cozumel, Mexico and I spotted a new looking Chevy truck/car that resembled a El Camino. The engine lable said 1.8L Does anyone know was it a new upcoming ElCamino....

bumpy

Chevy Tornado, basically an El Camino-ized Opel Astra (European counterpart to the Cobalt) for Latin America. If GM had any brains, they'd sell it here as a Saturn with the Cobalt's engine options.