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

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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    1979 Century hunchback: Normally I do hate those things, but for some reason I kinda like that one. I think it's partly because it looks like it's in really good shape, and also partly because I feel sorry for it that GM saw fit to inflict an otherwise okay car with that awful roofline. They really cleaned up nice for 1980, when they got a notchback roofline that looked reminiscent of the '75-79 Seville.

    LeSabre Turbo coupe: I think they made these things from 1977-80, and sold around 3000-5000 per year. You could only get it in the 2-door configuration, and I think they called it the "Sport Coupe". I think earlier versions had 150 hp, but later models had 165. I vaguely remember an issue of CR where they tested one of the earlier ones, and I think it came in slightly slower than a Caprice/Impala with the 305-2bbl. Somewhere around 13.1 seconds, I think, where the 305 was maybe 12.9. While that's nothing to write home about, in 1979 CR got around 13.5 seconds out of a Crown Vic 302, 15.4 out of an Impala 305, and 15.9 out of a St. Regis 318! :blush: The 305-2bbl's hp got cut from 145 in 1977-78 to 130 in 1979, so that really cut its performance.

    I like that Toronado, but agree that the color combo isn't too complementary. I think that top and interior really need to be more burgundy and less red. My '86 Monte was two-tone gray-over-silver, with a burgundy interior, and looked really sharp. And about 11 years ago, I came close to buying a '76 Newport 4-door hardtop that was silver with a burgundy interior/top. It started spraying fuel all over the place when I got it started, and had a myriad of other problems, so I put it out of my mind.

    That '76 Supreme is a classy looking car. I can see why they were so popular back in an era when GM could slap a pretty face on any piece of crap and the public would just lap it up. Although to be fair, I think GM's crap did tend to usually be better built back then than Ford's or Chrysler's. :P
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I had a Simca Aronde. Parts were simply non-existent anywhere on earth. That made future decisions about the car very easy.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    I read that Simca was the best selling car in France during the 50's and IIRC it was mostly on the strength of earlier versions of the Aronde.

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

  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    ah crap. This morning's drive in the old girl wrapped with the oil pressure falling off to zero right on the way back to the house. I'm sure this will be fun.

    I did see a nice 80's Buick Gran National running around on my drive. That and a 90's Mitsubishi that was completely crushed in a traffic accident where a cement truck rolled over on it and made it flat as a pancake. Just rolled up on it right as the police arrived. :sick:
  • fiatlux1969fiatlux1969 Member Posts: 52
    Does the Renault R10 qualify as modern? It was certainly late post-war, Viet Nam era even. We were lent one to drive by the dealer while my parents' Rover 2000TC was in the shop, and it had an allegedly "automatic" trans that seemed to be a manual with servos on the clutch and shifter. I remember pulling out to pass, flooring the gas pedal, and having everything just...stop, while the trans figured out what to do. May not be modern, but had to be the worst.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Those Grand Nationals are going up and up in price. Who woulda thunk it? And the GNX version has easily become the premier 80s collectible car, matching 60s and 70s cars in value. A rare phenomenon for an 80s car.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    Those Grand Nationals are going up and up in price. Who woulda thunk it? And the GNX version has easily become the premier 80s collectible car, matching 60s and 70s cars in value. A rare phenomenon for an 80s car.

    Even back in the day, those things held their value pretty well as used cars. And interestingly, while Regal production as a whole tapered off in the 80's (indeed all G-body production did) the turbocharged Grand National/T-type got more and more popular as time wore on. Up through 1985 they only sold around 3-5,000 annually, but in '86 they went up to about 12,000. In 1987, as the G-body was getting phased out, Buick only built about 65,000 Regals. But over 29,000 of those were turbocharged: 8,541 T-types, 20,193 Grand Nationals, and 547 commemorative end-of-the-line GNXes.

    That's somewhat small potatoes compared to the Monte SS, which broke 40K units in 1986 and 1987, but Buicks, by and large, weren't the first stop for most musclecar buyers.

    I think the Grand National was kind of like the 1994-96 Impala SS, where people knew they were something special and tended to hold onto them. I'd imagine the Grand National was also the first midsized domestic in a long, long time, that could approach classic musclecar performance. I remember as a kid and teen back then, that performance on new cars, for the most part, was pathetic enough that you almost WERE better off buying something that was 20 years old. I think the 70's and much of the 80's reinforced that classic "they don't build 'em like they used to" mentality, almost to the point that once they finally DID start making the cars better, a lot of people didn't notice!

    Back when they were new, I had a serious lusting for a Grand National, or even a T-type.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You can modify a GNX to be SERIOUSLY fast.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...a red 1965 Ford Cortina wagon.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I just got back from the big Buick show, which is a tolerable walk from my place. I think only abour 2/3 of the cars were present, but there were some winners. 53 and 54 Skylarks, for example, some great prewar cars, a few woodies, and beautiful 54-57 models. I'll post some pics tomorrow.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Some pics taken at the site of the Buick show yesterday evening - something for everyone - the show wasn't officially going on I think, as there was almost nobody there when I was there, and many cars were covered or appeared to be missing.

    I don't know if it is going on today or if everyone is leaving...as mother nature likes to toy with us here, it is raining now, so I don't think that will help the event.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's pretty amazing when you put a '53 Skylark next to a '53 Pontiac or Chevy and see how far ahead Buick was in Pizz-az!

    How the mighty have fallen!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Really, there is so much difference between those cars and lower makes until about 1960 or so. Some of them were really impressive.

    Show is over, about 20 cars from 1910-1960 drove by my place about 10 minutes ago (kind of a cool sight in the rain). I can't say I see a sidemounted 1936 Buick phaeton drive every rainy Sunday morning.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    #23 has four portholes, and it has a lip over the windshield. What does the model name on the rear panel say?
    It looks like a 1954?

    Thank you very much for posting these pictures, Fintail! :shades:

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    That car is also seen in #22, it is a 1954 Roadmaster. It was also in my opinion one of the nicest cars there, the condition was amazing, it was spotless and looked like it just came off the assembly line. A nicer presentation than many of the higher dollar cars. The lighting is bad in the photos - it was a very suitable grey color. I thought it was beautiful for such a tank of a car.

    Another well-presented car was the black '54 Skylark.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Great pics, fintail! Too bad this show was nowhere near me as Buicks are my favorite make next to Cadillacs.

    What was the Stutz doing there? I thought they were based on the 1970s Pontiac Grand Prix chassis?
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    The cream with red convertible is a 1954 (I hope). I don't recall ever seeing that combination of colors.

    The cream with red convert is backed up to a black convertible. That one has an unusual rear end treatment. What year is it and what model?

    These two are in #5 and #52.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    The red and cream car is a 53 Skylark, of course one of the most sought-after Buicks. It was actually not so perfect either, not a wreck, but not concours by any means. I can't say I like those colors either. The black car behind it is a 54 Skylark...it was gorgeous and pristine, the red wheel wells really set it off.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Yeah, I thought of you when seeing all these cars. You would have liked some of these beasts.

    I think the 'Stutz' is actually a Zimmer (so Ford-based - not even GM!)...you are talking about the thing with the junk tied to the roof, right? I had to take a couple pics of that...as it was being used for such a purpose, and was not in perfect condition. Someone has a sense of humor to drive it like that.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,107
    The Zimmer :sick: - what better way to demonstrate the quality of the Buicks' designs?
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    Uh, the aftermath of what we saw where the cement truck crushed the car (in my post a few above - what I thought was a Mistubishi was actually a Toyota, but anyway) is actually on CNN.....and the driver actually lived. Can't believe it. That guy just cashed in all his luck chips.

    I realize this is a bit off topic, but is a follow up to a remotely more on topic post above.How lucky is this guy!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    So much for all the BS about so and so "big" cars being "safe" and little Japanese cars being dangerous! Accident dynamics are so unpredictable...
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    So much for all the BS about so and so "big" cars being "safe" and little Japanese cars being dangerous! Accident dynamics are so unpredictable...

    Yeah, sometimes luck has more to do with it than anything else. I know I've told this story before, but here goes, again. Back in the late 70's, one of my mother's friends was in a VW Bug, merging onto the DC Beltway. There was a late 70's Impala wagon in front of her and a tractor trailer coming up fast behind her. Well, instead of trying to speed up and merge, the Impala just stopped, dead in its tracks. My mother's friend had no choice but to stop as well. 18 wheeler? Well, I'd like to think that he *tried* to stop. He ended up whacking the bug, pushing it sideways, and then rolling it as he drove over TOP of it! Then he whacked the Impala hard enough to drive the back bumper up behind the back of the front seat. Then, out on the beltway, the trailer came loose, flipped on its side, and set free about 40 tons of paper. Another car slammed into the trailer, but I don't know what kind of car it was. The tractor cab went down an embankment and hit some trees.

    Out of all that carnage, the only one hurt, believe it or not, was the tractor trailer driver! He broke both of his legs. Luckily, there was nobody in the back of the Impala wagon. My mother's friend suffered only bumps and bruises, but she was left upside down for several hours in a crumpled pile of metal that was leaking fuel, until they finally cut her out. I'm sure that accident did more to her mentally than physically.

    BTW, I can't get that CNN video to pull up. What kind of Toyota was it that got creamed?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Looked like an early 90s Celica coupe or some such. It was smashed pretty flat. The guy walked away---pretty amazing. And he just had a triple bypass. I guess we'd call him "lucky" but then maybe not.... :shades:
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    All I know is that it took me a second (ok a couple of seconds) as I was driving by the scene to realise there was actually a car under there!
  • magnettemagnette Member Posts: 4,229
    Another nice trawl through e-bay...
    The AC Buckland was never a common beast, and although it looks pretty ancient, it was really a variant on the AC 2-litre, which was only introduced as an all new model in 1948. They actually made them well into the fifties, the last one apparently in 1958 ( although they were the coupe, not the Buckland convertible which had died out by then. British cars weren't radical in the most part, and in the late forties when these models were introduced getting anything back into production was an achievement..
    Simca made loads of this model of Aronde, as well as the earlier shape - they were big sellers because they were so cheap, but they weren't built to last
    The one I did like was the Olds 88 convert. - that looked a nice motor...
    Also high marks for enthusiasm for the guy with the Fiat 124 - which looked like a well loved machine.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    I saw this speeding around me on the road today. Car was perfect. No air conditioning?

    image

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    230SL or 280SL? I am having a hard time making it out.

    Anyway, I swear most of these were white, especially 230SL. I can't recall ever seeing one with AC. AC was not common in MB until the mid 70s.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    They came with AC optional, a kind of under-dash unit. It didn't work at all, it was a joke like most German AC of that era. I like the "pagoda" SLs, and actually bought one new in 1971 when I worked for Benz. It was my first brand new car. I remember what I paid, too--$10,400. Got a good deal from Benz, actually made money on it. Dark green, tan interior, AC, 4-speed, two tops. It's not a "man's car"...it felt very feminine to me, like a French car rather than a German one. It could move out pretty well if you really kicked it in the butt and revved the hell out of it...it could take it but most people never drove it that way, nor do they now.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    I couldn't tell either looking into the sun. The car was a cream color-french vanilla. Moving at 70-75 the camera got a sharp picture but couldn't distinguish the 230 or 280. If he started in Massachusetts, he was a long way from home.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You should have followed him up a hill. If he slowed down, it was a 230 ;)
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I have an October 1976 NADA price guide that puts a '71 280SL at a retail value of $8350. I know inflation was not fun then, but still, that's impressive resale. And yeah, they are kinda girly...actually, pretty much all SLs other than the original 300SL are kind of that way.

    Seeing how to drive it makes me feel better when I rev the hell out of my fintail...even with the car's advanced aged, I do not always drive it delicately.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The 280SL was a smash hit when it came out and never really depreciated very much. Now they are busting $40,000. Of course, it would take about double that to restore a real ratty one.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I wonder how many traded their 113s in on early 107s. The market for both cars is night and day, now. I do notice 113s have appreciated a bit in the past 10 years, along with 190SLs.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Had a good thing on the Classic SLs.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoVjkmacUcw
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    There are no side marker lights on that SL which dates it as pre-1968 therefore a 230 or 250SL. IIRC the 280SL came out in 1968.

    Sweet looking cars!

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

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    I always thought they were great looking cars. I recall when I first saw a gull wing version uptown Oxford when I was at Miami Univ.

    I could not make out if it said 230 or 280 because of the sun in my eyes. I hoped the camera would get a good picture of the numbers but it didn't.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Good catch...unless of course, it's a 280SL Euro with no side markers :P
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    The people across the street from me seem to be on an 80s kick. Parked in front of their house is a ca. 1985 (non-flush headlights) Civic hatch, red and silver, with what appears to be factory body cladding and wheels. It looks to be in excellent condition. Maybe some kind of early si or sport model. In the driveway is a ca. 1983-84 Nissan Pulsar, also appears to be in nice shape. I can't recall the last time I saw one that wasn't a heap. And parked next to it is a champagne colored 560SEL.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    It's a 230. I was able to zoom in on the photo.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    I just found this on youtube too funny.

    Amphicar bah who needs it..
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    Actually that was a pretty impressive performance considering the vehicle did not appear to have have the snorkel equipment usually required for fording deep water.

    Score one for Land Rover!

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

  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    The snorkle ran up the driver's side A-pillar
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    I did have a snorkel and is an old school diesel with no electronics.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,107
    Kinda like the British TV show where they chained an old diesel Toyota PU in the ocean, tide came in, went out, they pulled it out, started it up and drove away...
  • magnettemagnette Member Posts: 4,229
    Passed a mint dark blue Aston Martin DB6 just now - really a nice car, not too over-restored, just as if it was , say, six months old.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    Not many of these left

    There's a reason for that, most Packard fans would like to forget the Studecards, especially those horrid 1957s :cry:

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

  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    Update to a previous post of mine. Looks like the no oil pressure prob that the ol' gal suddenly came down with was just an indicator/sender problem. Went through and cleaned up the contacts in a "well it can't hurt" exercise and (begrudgingly) fired her back up this weekend. Oil pressure is right back were it was and should be. Must have just been a dirty contact or something....thankfully!

    Oh, and one of the neighbors down the street looks to have picked up nice black and yellow 50's 4-door Buick of some sort. Sharp looking. Not really up to speed on Buicks, but if I had to guess, probably about a '56 or so. Looks really good. A lot like this one I pulled off the internet, only again, black and yellow. Only I don't think the bumper "bullets" are as pronounced. I'll have to take a look again.
    image

    Also saw an original Mini running around yesterday. Man I can't help but love those things.
This discussion has been closed.