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

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Comments

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    1980 Accord- Wow, apparently someone sprung for close to $5 grand to acquire it.
    They'll probably be disappointed by the gas mileage (25-27 mpg at best).

    I doubt many royals in Monaco had these

    LOL! ;)

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

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    I don't think the Accord got any bidders. What a surprise. Maybe if it was a sedan....

    My first Honda was an 80 Accord sedan. Looking at some of those interior shots were a bit of a walk down memory lane - and a great deal cheaper than buying such a thing.

    I can't believe someone sunk $16K into such a thing - or claims to have anyway.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    I was at my brother-in-law's in Milwaukee yesterday, cooking out, having a few beers. We were looking at the run-down house next door. Apparently, the elderly owner died last year, kid's own the house, never come by, house empty.

    We were looking around, peeked in the garage window, and saw a Corvette sitting in the garage. We jiggled the service door, it popped open, and inside was a Mid-60's Sting Ray, White, manual tranny, no roof so it must be removable top, looked like it was sitting at least twenty years. Pretty cool, almost like a barn find.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Wow...I wonder if it was a big block car or anything like that.

    I think there will be some old cars out in my area today. In 10 minutes 3 oddities have driven past already - a trunkback Saab 9000, an 80s MB SEC, and a 56 Ford 2 door sedan.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...red Lotus Europa on I-95 and white 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport on Rhawn and Tabor in NE Philly. The Chevelle was doing a burnout at the light before launching the car east on Rhawn.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    ....on my lil 2 mile trip to the grocery storetoday, I saw a '67 Imperial four-door hardtop, in decent shape save for the primer; a '67-69 Thunderbird two-door 'Landau' (the kind with no rear windows), in triple white....that is such an odd looking hippo of a car, though I kinda like it maybe for the same reason; a beautiful, albeit pimped-out (wire wheels, lots of extra chrome and ornamentation) '70 Cadillac convertible in white.

    In the market parking lot, the coolest thing, I'm taking an educated guess that it was a '41 Chrysler sedan (don't know what variety, but looked relatively small compared to most of the advertisement drawings--no shock there, I guess). It was in very nice condition, had a cool straight-8 rumble, painted a lovely period burgandy.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    First was a mint green 50's convertible on a trailer ... Kaiser-Darrin?

    Second (fin will love this) was an MB convertible ... looked to be late 50's, early 60's vintage. Brown, top down, beautiful condition. Not sure of the model .. Adenaur, perhaps?

    Some pix would help me out.
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    I drove by our high school last week and saw a torquise colored 64 Ford Galaxie 4dr HT in the student lot. I actually kind of liked the curved-in C pillar treatment on them. I've seen a few old barges there over the past year. I wonder if they are becoming an "in" thing with the teenagers these days? Of course those student lots are like demolition derby, so maybe its just self defense!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I'll wager you mean something like this:

    image

    And didn't actually see one of these:

    image

    As the latter is very rare and worth as much as a house in many locations.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Lots of sightings in my area today. 2 Austin-Healeys in different locations, a 60s Land Rover with no top, a 65 (?) GTO 2-door post, a ca. 46 Buick lead sled, a ca. 72 Continental coupe (the big inelegant one, not a mark IIRC) a big late 70s Olds wagon like in 'Poltergeist', a W113 230SL, a 37 Chevy hot rod, a pristine pukey pumpkin colored W123 sedan, a 560SEC in the same color as my old W126, and a gigantic 20s Lincoln touring car that I tried to get a pic of...I'll have to see if it turned out.
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    Whew, that big cabrio looks as menacing as it is imposing and stern-looking, as in something you wouldn't want to challenge or mess with.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Arghhh...I don't want to disillusion you, but these old 300d convertibles are slow and stately, not terribly powerful.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Saw my first "new" Camaro up close and personal. The car "to save GM"?

    I don't think so.

    In real life it is *very* chunky looking, chiseled, blocky...it does not have the grace of the original---looks more like the modern Mustang. It looks as tall as it is long (not really, but you get the idea), with small glass area. It's also BIG.

    Kinda looks like a 2-door Chrysler 300.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,107
    I started wondering about the new Camaro, until they said 5'11" is the most that'll fit-those narrow windows result from a 'slammed' roof... :mad:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It does not appear to me to be anything new or fresh in design.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Oh, every time I see an old Adenauer - even in a picture....

    Had one when I was a kid. Not a convertible and not in any kind of shape but we loved that thing. No, it wasn't fast.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    That's a 300SC :P
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    I started wondering about the new Camaro, until they said 5'11" is the most that'll fit-those narrow windows result from a 'slammed' roof...

    I sat in one at the Philly auto show, and at 6'3", actually fit pretty well as I recall. It reminded me somewhat of the seating position of my buddy's 1978 Mark V. Seat low to the floor and so far back from the firewall that you can almost sit with your legs out totally straight, but not a whole lot of headroom. My head wasn't actually touching, but the ceiling was close enough that I could sense it was there. One thing I didn't like about it though, is that the window sill is so high up that it's above my shoulder, so I have to throw my arm up to hang it out the window!

    Oh, and of course, there's no back seat room to speak of, but I guess nobody buys these things with the expectation of being able to squeeze four sumo wrestlers in it!
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Nope, that's not it.

    Did a quick search .. I think it's this:

    image

    The one I saw on the trailer may just have been a Kaiser; it was going the other way on the interstate, so I didn't get a great look at it:

    image
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Ah well my bad. I didn't even look at the back of the car. :P

    What tells you its an SC and not an S? A 300SC is extremely rare.

    The SC motor is the same basic engine as the 300SL Gullwing, so it's no slouch (but it is detuned).

    A 300SC is worth a substantial pile of greenbacks, maybe even 1/4 mil. A 300d maybe $80K or so if it's really nice.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    The first car you post is the first one I post, a 220S/SE ponton cabrio :P
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    The photo caption said it was an SC...I didn't see a reason to not believe them. They are very rare , I think about 100 units each of coupe and cabrio were built. I suspect most survived.

    I've seen nice Adenauer cabrios for under 100K yeah...I think I have seen 300SC cabrios offered for like 400K.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh okay. I guess my experience on eBay and Craigslist and Wikipedia makes me skeptical of anything written in a photo caption. I was just curious if there was some outward clue I don't know about. I see these cars so rarely I haven't learned much about them.

    Yes very rare...49 cabriolets and 53 roadsters, and yes again, they can bust $350K---or at least they USED to---don't know about 2009.

    The 300S roadster is also nearly as rare --- 141 made, and the cabriolet 203 made.

    But everyone really wants the SC.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Huh .. sorry, must not have looked at the picture too closely.

    Been a bit distracted ... had some minor flooding in the house over the weekend (busted pipe), so have been dealing with damage control and insurance companies and such.

    Anyway, the one I saw was dark brown on the outside and immaculate.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Sounds like the period color "Havana Brown", renamed after the unpleasantness in 1961 et al.

    If it was a truly pristine 220SE, those can get to six figures to the right buyer.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    There's no outward clue other than the badge on the rear, as far as I know. I don't think I have ever seen an SC, but I am pretty sure I've seen an S.

    The gullwing market remains strong, doesn't it? I'd think one of those big flashy things with 300SL genes might be able to ride out the storm.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah Gullwing market is strong for the top notch cars but "iffy" ones are harder to sell these days--given enormous restoration costs. I'd still recommend the roadster version by far.

    Saw a very convincing-looking Gullwing FAKE the other day...I had to walk up to it, within ten feet or so, to realize it wasn't real. Of course, I could have just bent down to check for the tubular frame but I'm too lazy.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    ....four-door hardtop version of the 300S/SC (it was pillarless but had a third window behind the back doors)? I remember that being the wedding limo in my cousin's wedding (1982-ish), I had never seen one and fell immediately in love with it.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I have seen some of those nice fakes on ebay. They are nicely proportioned.

    I once saw a gullwing on I90 just east of Seattle. I have to think it was one of those fakes...but from a slight distance in motion, it was pretty convincing.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    That car was the second generation Adenauer sedan, the 300d W189. I think those were made from 1958-62.

    image
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    THE NEWEST FAKE

    This fake looks pretty good, but V-8 power and a 7 speed automatic? Just kill me now.

    Only $225,000 for the "not real thing".

    As for the ad copy "even BETTER than the Real Thing"

    my response is:

    "Respect your betters"
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,597
    I don't care how faithful the recreation process is, once you see an automatic transmission selector in a "gullwing" the cover is blown! In fact, if I saw something like that I think I would shoot it just to put it out of its misery.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I remember some time ago there was a reproduction gullwing made with the M103 I6 out of a W124 300E, that with a 5 speed is a lot more faithful than a V8 automatic version.

    A gullwing should not be automatic.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Those were also automatics, with the 300E engine. Out of southern California.
    THIS IS THE FAKE I SAW
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I am surprised a manual wasn't mated up to that, as the engine was offered with a manual in Europe - so parts wouldn't be a huge problem. It would be a huge jump for accuracy.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I saw an E28 M5 today. Black, of course.

    When I was a kid and those were new, I wanted one. I remember I had the Pirelli poster of the car kind of 'hovering'.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Here you go, fintail... 56 Adenauer.

    Must have lost a zero somewhere....
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Funny, I remember my uncle had a friend who got one of these big MB Adenauer sedans cheap off a used car lot because the dealer couldn't move it way back then. My how times have changed! I always thought it was kind of cool looking. It was a pretty large car for a MB.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Mine was dirt cheap. My dad traded a $250 dishwasher for it. Four on the column. I loved that.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    They still aren't a high dollar car. You can buy a #2 nice clean driver for $20,000, so something like this that needs paintwork and chrome repair may only bid out at $10K or so.

    Endless money pits and no foreseeable upside. It's simply not a real collectible IMO, just a nice "old car". Really not worth much more than a '56 Chevy Belair 4-door sedan and harder to sell.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Shame there aren't more pics. Sounds like a cool car. The fitted luggage would be very cool.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    I saw a '66 or '67 GTO convertible pulling onto a highway, blue-green in color, in fine shape. A twenty-something woman was driving, accompanied by two female passengers.

    Does anyone know a good way to tell a '66 from a '67 at a glance? :confuse:

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

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I have always thought the 67s were pretty much carryover from 66, on the outside anyway. Why mess with a good thing?

    I knew a girl in high school who drove a 67 GTO. It actually belonged to her mother, who bought it in like 1970. I think it had something like 250K miles on it, but had been renovated and refreshed along the way.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    This makes me think of the opening to 'Christine'

    image
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I came across this good article I wanted to show you:

    http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/curbside-classics-1966-mercedes-benz-250-s/

    Were those particular cars built on the same chassis as the Fintail series?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    wire mesh grille instead of plastic, larger rocker panel molding with 6.5L crest, water temp gauge now reads 250F, and oil pressure now reads 80 psi. Different rear tail light panel, with 4 horizontal slates. There are more differences but those are the major ones. Not much really. Also I *think* the 66 didn't have GTO emblems on the rear fenders but the 67 does. Not sure about that.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    W111 and W108s are very similar structurally and mechanically, yeah. Almost identical suspensions, same transmissions on most of them, the I6 models having very similar engines varying only in displacement, and so on. The 108 was evolutionary, made to move the higher line cars away from outdated tailfins more than anything else, I suspect.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    it was really the first Benz that Americans took seriously. I don't mean technically, but i mean as an alternative to an American sedan. It looked modern and clean, drove beautifully (for the most part) and had excellent brakes and steering. The two things they didn't like were lousy AC, a very harsh shifting automatic and a low-torque motor. They weren't used to revving up engines.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    Exactly. And when the smooth little V8s were placed in later 108s and 109s - that last problem was solved. Then the 116 was introduced here for MY 1973, and the rest is history.
This discussion has been closed.