I remember there was a one cylinder Cadillac at a local show, ca. 1905-06. The owner started up the car, a very charming little two seater, and I swear it idled at like 100 rpm.
Don't sell Harry Miller short - in 1920 he built the first of his long series of motors that were eventually developed into the Offenhauser motors. High compression, DOHC, 4 valve heads, 183 CI straight 8. By '26 Indy rules reduced it to a 91 CID, supercharged, 153 hp! I got the book here:Miller book
Very true and legendary engines, but the first DOHC were Fiat/Peugeot around 1913--4 valves, too! These were way bigger cid than Miller's engines, though. I guess Offys ruled Indy until Colin Chapman made all front-engined Indy cars obsolete in a single year.
Obscure? A 1971 Corolla station wagon! Remember those?
I think I do remember those. Were those the ones with the trim piece that dropped just below the window base line at the rear?
I saw another odd wagon today, a Checker. I see it now and then...the owner obviously cares for it, it is always clean and looking good (for a Checker wagon)
Aha, that's what I was thinking about. Funny I would remember that exact little detail. Whatever happened to 2-door wagons? Less practical I guess, but more interesting.
I am sure most of the survivor's are in Shifty's area, with their beercan-strength sheetmetal.
If my fintail wasn't a west coast car, I suspect it would have been gone long ago. That's one plus of living on this side of the continent - cars die off slower and generally have better cosmetics.
...our neighbors next door to us had two cars that were the same color (brown).
The first was a '72 Cutlass 2-door, the second was a '72 or '73 Corolla, also a 2-door. When they brought the Corolla home, we all kidded them about the Cutlass having offspring.
Hell, that's actually one of the improved, later models! The first-year LeBaron 'verts didn't have rear quarter windows, just a thick blind spot created by the top itself. And sad to say, the LeBaron/600 convertible was probably the best of the domestic bunch, when convertibles started making a comeback around that time. I heard the Mustang and Cavalier verts were positively awful. I kinda liked the Toro/Riv/Eldo verts, though...I wonder how bad one of them would be to live with?
I had a friend back in college who actually had TWO of these things! I think one was an '85 LeBaron and the other was an '86. He used to be a really big "buy American" sort of guy, and if you bought a Japanese car and, God forbid, have any trouble with it, he'd criticize you for buying it in the first place and tell you that you got what you deserved! Then, in 1995, he bought a Toyota Corolla! :P And the last time I saw him, he had a Maxima, but I can't remember the year....late 1990's I want to say, though.
To be fair, neither LeBaron that he had was an awful car. I think the '86 had around 130,000 miles on it when he traded for the Corolla, and the main reason he did that was economy, I think. I don't think the LeBaron got much over the mid-20's, while the Corolla was getting mid-30's. And for awhile he had a 60 or so mile commute, so that made a difference!
FWIW, if you ditch the fake woodgrain, they're not horrible looking cars. And I rather like the Dodge 600 convertible, with its less pretentious, Mirada-esque front-end...
I knew someone else who had a LeBaron convertible. I think it was a 1984. Soon after I bought my '67 Catalina convertible, I think he caught the convertible bug from me, because he ended up buying this thing. I think it had the Mitsubishi 2.6 4-cyl.
I don't know if he had much trouble with it, but I don't think it really satisified his convertible itch. He sold it and then bought one of those little Aussie Capri convertibles from around late 80's/early 90's vintage, but I don't think that really did it for him, either. Last time I saw him, he had a 1972 Corvette. It wasn't a convertible, but it had the removable roof, which probably gave you most of the fun of a convertible but without most of the headaches.
An 85 Eldo convertible is absolutely terrifying to drive. You have to experience it to believe how bad this chassis is. Personally I wouldn't recommend going over 40 mph in one if you value your life.
My friend, who is an old MG nut, just bought this... If you don't know, it's basically an MGB with a 6-cylinder (plus various mechanical differences to account for the longer/heavier engine).
He already has an MGA (35 yr owner.. been restored 3 times), and also has a Magnette sedan, which should be ready to roll by next year...
and it was warm! 63 degrees according to my car, so i decided to start up the mustang today. opened the garage for a while. put a trouble light under the bottom of the engine for 1/2 an hour or so. took the cover off. opened the hood. disconected the ignition module. cranked it over a few times until i saw the oil pressure gauge move up. the battery must still be good because it had no problem turning the engine over. i checked, 100 month battery bought about 4 years ago. reconnected the ignition module. held my breath and turned the key. engine was rough for about 5 seconds, then settled right down to a smooth idle. ran it for about 20 minutes total at 1000 rpm, then 1500, then 2000, then about 2200. it has heat and there was no more moisture coming out of the exhaust. all the gauges looked normal. no check engine light. :shades: buttoned the car back up and maybe in about 3 months i can take the cover off until the fall.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
My brother had a Dodge 600 convertible! Actually one day it was a very good thing he did have it. He was stopped behind a tractor trailer at a red light. the truck made a left and my brother just assumed the light had turned green and followed. it hadn't and a tanker truck, thankfully empty, was coming right at him and hit him broadside. That extra metal they threw in there to correct all the things that go with a convertible probably saved his life. he bruised himslef up good and broke his pelvis.
You'd never know that today. he looks and feels fine and is several convertibles down the line. Right now he has an old Celica convertible close to identical to mine though his is black. his twin has a blue on. Mine is red. Didn't plan it taht way - just how it came out.
I remember those Aussie Capris! they seemed like a good idea in the previews but didn't pan out in real life.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Good grief, I thought I has something strange to post, but it's not worth the effort in the face of your latest monument to automotive absurdity. I doff my hat to you. :P
PS $6,800 for a Packard PEDAL CAR and the reserve's not met ?!?!?!?!??!? The world is totally insane. :sick:
Excalibur's top looks like t's really ill fitting. It just doesn't suit the car. But then again the whole idea of an Excalibur is ill to begin with :confuse:
Tiffany's = rebodied Mecury Cougar on a stretched wheelbase. I like the past meets future concept of old car styling with a digital dash :lemon:
VW Rabbit limo.....stick a bio diesel in there and show up at a global warming convention guilt free.
I like the white Civic, it looks like new. Nice budget collector piece if you collect early [non-permissible content removed] cars.
Fiat Panda: I like the minimalist interior. Note how thin the seatbacks are, and how narrow the Pirelli tires are too. No wonder they could fit a spare under the hood. And yeah I wonder what the original plan was when it was bought and not used.
Citoren Visa: the light controls look so akward and ugly. What were they thinking?
Resto-mod Caddy... I like it a lot. Modern drivetrain with old style body. Nicely done imo.
58 Mercedes, I guess when you were a big shot in 1958 you'd be crusing in this Benz coupe turning heads.
Fintail: it's funny how it does look basic for some reason. Maybe less trim/chrome pieces. I like the garage in the back ground.
[non-permissible content removed] Trans Am is cool too, but not for that kind of money.
Nice oddball collection this week Fintail. Many that I wouldn't mind owning.
'66 Fintail -- I wouldn't mind owning that car if it had a floor shifter.
Packard Pedal Car -- it's a fabulous piece, being so original, and perfect for that whiny spoiled rich kid in the Hamptons---but really the bid is already enough to let it go.
"epitomizes grace and power" --- well maybe in Kentucky but not anyplace with the real thing to compare it to.
VW Rabbit Limo -- what a great idea...well, it seemed like a great idea after all those beers. We were working late, and Bill says to me, he says: "you know, we oughta take that VW and....."
81 Lancia convertible -- I suppose public execution is a bit harsh for anyone who would put $50,000 into a Fiat-built Lancia, but it's a close call, mighty close call...
32 Cad Resto-Mod --- nice job but price is loony. Worth about 1/2 that.
23 Franklin--- Franklins are pretty cool cars. This one seems nice, and worth a bit more than bid so far. Maybe $12,500 should do it.
Tiffany -- the nice thing about bad taste is that you don't know you have it.
I swear, there must be a pattern to the ads, I can go on ebay for 10 minutes or so and find a load of freakshows. It's as much effort for me to find them as it is to post them.
Oh yeah, prewar pedal cars with original finish etc are big bucks items...seems to go to the ostentatious collectors of things like jukeboxes and brass cash registers etc, but demand seems to be alive.
That Franklin somehow interests me as it is really odd and I know the technology was different. Seems like a nice step up from a Model T for just a few grand more. Or for a mere 20 grand or so you could have both. Not that that's where I'd put my 20 grand if I had it to blow, but there could be fun to be had.
A Franklin is a pretty substantial car. They are of course tanks to drive but you know, 30 mph in a parade or taking the kids out for ice cream---it's hard to beat at that price.
If I lived in a smallish town with no traffic pressures, something like that might eventually be tempting as a toy.
However, I live in a crowded area where any prewar car just isn't going to hack it in traffic. My fintail keeps up with modern traffic just fine and has decent brakes...it's enough for now.
Yes most 20s cars require herculean effort to turn the steering wheel, which usually sticks in whatever position you turn it as well. And of course the brakes are really scary--it feels like there's a brick under your brake pedal. Some early 20s cars like Chrylser, has hydraulic braking, but most don't in 1923-24 era--just mechanical rods.
Shifting isn't hard but the transmissions are slow, and there's usually no first synchromesh, or any synchromesh in many of these cars. Handling isn't too bad, as the suspensions are generally very stiff.
How bad would it be to drive a ca. 1940 car with an early automatic? I know the brakes will still be weak, but at least they'd be hydraulic.
For such hard to handle cars, I would hate to have to manhandle the thing around and do the shifting on a defiant old manual at the same time. I'm too modern (lazy).
Well that would be a 1941 Oldsmobile---earliest automatic I know of. Not bad to drive but no power steering. So some grunt involved. Certainly much better than a 1921 car---decent heater and weather protection. Brakes should be okay, too, if new and adjusted right.
I kinda like that '79 Grand LeMans. It would be neat to have, as a comparison piece to my '76. That color probably grosses most people out, but I like it!
Yes but a helicopter engine, from a more modern Franklin company (don't know if they are connected to the old Franklin). This engine was very powerful, unlike the Franklin car. Tucker had to convert it to water cooling to use it. It's a good engine, probably the best part of the entire car---which was quite undeveloped. You can easily break the axles in half by tromping down in first gear. Tucker owners always start up in 2nd gear for safety. The transmissions were used rebuilt Cord transmissions with pre-selector shifting. Way too weak for that engine.
The car is also notoriously tail-happy, so don't be getting frisky in a Tucker.
I go with your opinion of the Citroen light controls looking ugly, but I've driven one of these, and they are very ergonomic - intuitive really. They wouldn't feel much different from a contemporary Renault or something, so they would be familiar to their target market when new. I don't exactly remember the lights, but I drove it in the dark, and we got there, so it must have been ok.
The Fiat Panda had some of the thinnest seats ever made, held together by bits of fuse wire or something, but my then wife had one of these cars when it was a year old in the mid eighties, and we toured Scotland in it - it had reclining seats, but they were really lightweight. Surprisingly comfortable though - a bit like the way the Citroen 2cv had virtual deck chairs but they felt really supportive somehow...
The real star of this selection is that Subaru microvan - never seen one of those on the road, but if you can stop the thing rusting, it would probably run for ever on about the same amount of fuel as a zip lighter...
I really like the basic simplicity of 190 fintails. I think they are the best looking in the sense of being uncluttered and purposeful, lighter weight and more economical. But they certainly aren't very showy or impressive to look at, that's true.
The lowline cars with their big alien headlights and extreme simplicity do have a charm, they are robust and practical but with an attempt at being modern looking for the time.
However, the wood and chrome of the higher models has a lot of attraction for me, and everyone likes a good I6. A 300SE LWB fintail with that big M180 and maybe some options would be very impressive, although of course a lot more work to live with than a little 190.
I find it amusing that the lowline fintails - without chrome running along the rear fender/fin, were more labor intensive to produce than the highline cars because that crease was covered with chrome on the upper models, but had to be finished by hand on the lower models.
I never liked the 300 series fintail. That body style just doesn't respond to too much ornamentation IMO. It's a rather stodgy design. And you know, the wood in those cars is not very impressive. They were pretty stingy with it. The interior of a Jaguar Mk II puts the car to shame.
But I do like how sturdy fintails are and their basic simplicity.
Comments
By the end of the 30s we'd even see automatic transmissions...from there on, anyone can drive.
Obscure? A 1971 Corolla station wagon! Remember those?
I saw another odd wagon today, a Checker. I see it now and then...the owner obviously cares for it, it is always clean and looking good (for a Checker wagon)
Were those the ones with the trim piece that dropped just below the window base line at the rear?
Ask (Google) and ye shall receive:
They were very good little cars if you could somehow beat off the tin worms.
I am sure most of the survivor's are in Shifty's area, with their beercan-strength sheetmetal.
We had a 72 Corolla. Just the little skate - not a wagon. it was a good car. Gave new meaning to word small.
The first was a '72 Cutlass 2-door, the second was a '72 or '73 Corolla, also a 2-door. When they brought the Corolla home, we all kidded them about the Cutlass having offspring.
I had a friend back in college who actually had TWO of these things! I think one was an '85 LeBaron and the other was an '86. He used to be a really big "buy American" sort of guy, and if you bought a Japanese car and, God forbid, have any trouble with it, he'd criticize you for buying it in the first place and tell you that you got what you deserved! Then, in 1995, he bought a Toyota Corolla! :P And the last time I saw him, he had a Maxima, but I can't remember the year....late 1990's I want to say, though.
To be fair, neither LeBaron that he had was an awful car. I think the '86 had around 130,000 miles on it when he traded for the Corolla, and the main reason he did that was economy, I think. I don't think the LeBaron got much over the mid-20's, while the Corolla was getting mid-30's. And for awhile he had a 60 or so mile commute, so that made a difference!
FWIW, if you ditch the fake woodgrain, they're not horrible looking cars. And I rather like the Dodge 600 convertible, with its less pretentious, Mirada-esque front-end...
We once did a cartoon for Road & Track where tourists are passing a Highway Sign that says:
"Simulated Woodgrain Forest-- 2 miles"
I don't know if he had much trouble with it, but I don't think it really satisified his convertible itch. He sold it and then bought one of those little Aussie Capri convertibles from around late 80's/early 90's vintage, but I don't think that really did it for him, either. Last time I saw him, he had a 1972 Corvette. It wasn't a convertible, but it had the removable roof, which probably gave you most of the fun of a convertible but without most of the headaches.
My friend, who is an old MG nut, just bought this... If you don't know, it's basically an MGB with a 6-cylinder (plus various mechanical differences to account for the longer/heavier engine).
He already has an MGA (35 yr owner.. been restored 3 times), and also has a Magnette sedan, which should be ready to roll by next year...
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opened the garage for a while. put a trouble light under the bottom of the engine for 1/2 an hour or so. took the cover off. opened the hood. disconected the ignition module. cranked it over a few times until i saw the oil pressure gauge move up. the battery must still be good because it had no problem turning the engine over.
i checked, 100 month battery bought about 4 years ago.
reconnected the ignition module. held my breath and turned the key.
engine was rough for about 5 seconds, then settled right down to a smooth idle.
ran it for about 20 minutes total at 1000 rpm, then 1500, then 2000, then about 2200.
it has heat and there was no more moisture coming out of the exhaust.
all the gauges looked normal. no check engine light. :shades:
buttoned the car back up and maybe in about 3 months i can take the cover off until the fall.
You'd never know that today. he looks and feels fine and is several convertibles down the line. Right now he has an old Celica convertible close to identical to mine though his is black. his twin has a blue on. Mine is red. Didn't plan it taht way - just how it came out.
I remember those Aussie Capris! they seemed like a good idea in the previews but didn't pan out in real life.
"a real head turner" isn't always a positive thing
Mini mini mini van
Neat 20s weirdo
This is very sensible
Not seen very often
If you want that much for this, please use something more than a 2003 cellphone to take pics
Lowline Packard
This held up amazingly well
Good use of resources
Of all the things to preserve
French style
Resto-mod
Good survivor
Very clean very basic fintail (apparently owned by Magnum PI)
A period piece
Maybe something Andre would want
Good grief, I thought I has something strange to post, but it's not worth the effort in the face of your latest monument to automotive absurdity. I doff my hat to you. :P
PS $6,800 for a Packard PEDAL CAR and the reserve's not met ?!?!?!?!??!?
The world is totally insane. :sick:
Tiffany's = rebodied Mecury Cougar on a stretched wheelbase. I like the past meets future concept of old car styling with a digital dash :lemon:
VW Rabbit limo.....stick a bio diesel in there and show up at a global warming convention guilt free.
I like the white Civic, it looks like new. Nice budget collector piece if you collect early [non-permissible content removed] cars.
Fiat Panda: I like the minimalist interior. Note how thin the seatbacks are, and how narrow the Pirelli tires are too. No wonder they could fit a spare under the hood. And yeah I wonder what the original plan was when it was bought and not used.
Citoren Visa: the light controls look so akward and ugly. What were they thinking?
Resto-mod Caddy... I like it a lot. Modern drivetrain with old style body. Nicely done imo.
58 Mercedes, I guess when you were a big shot in 1958 you'd be crusing in this Benz coupe turning heads.
Fintail: it's funny how it does look basic for some reason. Maybe less trim/chrome pieces. I like the garage in the back ground.
[non-permissible content removed] Trans Am is cool too, but not for that kind of money.
Nice oddball collection this week Fintail. Many that I wouldn't mind owning.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Packard Pedal Car -- it's a fabulous piece, being so original, and perfect for that whiny spoiled rich kid in the Hamptons---but really the bid is already enough to let it go.
"epitomizes grace and power" --- well maybe in Kentucky but not anyplace with the real thing to compare it to.
VW Rabbit Limo -- what a great idea...well, it seemed like a great idea after all those beers. We were working late, and Bill says to me, he says: "you know, we oughta take that VW and....."
81 Lancia convertible -- I suppose public execution is a bit harsh for anyone who would put $50,000 into a Fiat-built Lancia, but it's a close call, mighty close call...
32 Cad Resto-Mod --- nice job but price is loony. Worth about 1/2 that.
23 Franklin--- Franklins are pretty cool cars. This one seems nice, and worth a bit more than bid so far. Maybe $12,500 should do it.
Tiffany -- the nice thing about bad taste is that you don't know you have it.
I swear, there must be a pattern to the ads, I can go on ebay for 10 minutes or so and find a load of freakshows. It's as much effort for me to find them as it is to post them.
Oh yeah, prewar pedal cars with original finish etc are big bucks items...seems to go to the ostentatious collectors of things like jukeboxes and brass cash registers etc, but demand seems to be alive.
That Franklin somehow interests me as it is really odd and I know the technology was different. Seems like a nice step up from a Model T for just a few grand more. Or for a mere 20 grand or so you could have both. Not that that's where I'd put my 20 grand if I had it to blow, but there could be fun to be had.
However, I live in a crowded area where any prewar car just isn't going to hack it in traffic. My fintail keeps up with modern traffic just fine and has decent brakes...it's enough for now.
Shifting isn't hard but the transmissions are slow, and there's usually no first synchromesh, or any synchromesh in many of these cars. Handling isn't too bad, as the suspensions are generally very stiff.
For such hard to handle cars, I would hate to have to manhandle the thing around and do the shifting on a defiant old manual at the same time. I'm too modern (lazy).
The car is also notoriously tail-happy, so don't be getting frisky in a Tucker.
The Fiat Panda had some of the thinnest seats ever made, held together by bits of fuse wire or something, but my then wife had one of these cars when it was a year old in the mid eighties, and we toured Scotland in it - it had reclining seats, but they were really lightweight. Surprisingly comfortable though - a bit like the way the Citroen 2cv had virtual deck chairs but they felt really supportive somehow...
The real star of this selection is that Subaru microvan - never seen one of those on the road, but if you can stop the thing rusting, it would probably run for ever on about the same amount of fuel as a zip lighter...
odd thing? It was street parked in the middle of DC on sunday. With the top down, and it was chilly.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I believe they were begging for OUR money. :mad:
The image is identified as a 1961 190d. I don't think the car I spotted was a diesel. What were the other configurations of this car?
Didn't even know they made one of those... :surprise:
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However, the wood and chrome of the higher models has a lot of attraction for me, and everyone likes a good I6. A 300SE LWB fintail with that big M180 and maybe some options would be very impressive, although of course a lot more work to live with than a little 190.
I find it amusing that the lowline fintails - without chrome running along the rear fender/fin, were more labor intensive to produce than the highline cars because that crease was covered with chrome on the upper models, but had to be finished by hand on the lower models.
But I do like how sturdy fintails are and their basic simplicity.