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

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think you'd have to shift the NADA numbers for a '58 Packardbaker Hawk one place to the left, so that high retail is in the $23,000 range, and average around $16,000. I think a survey of a couple years of eBay would bear this out.

    The '56 Golden Hawk is the only car with the huge Packard engine and the only Hawk with fins that year, interestingly enough, so that always struck me as rather special among Hawks. They made more Golden Hawks in '56 than they did '58 Packard hawks however--about 5 times as many, or around 4,000 of 'em.

    The normally aspirated GH with Packard engine of 352 cid puts out as much horsepower as the supercharged '58 Packardbaker, but with less complexity. The old MucCulloch superchargers are very difficult to overhaul correctly.

    So ironically, the 56 Studebaker Golden Hawk is way more Packard than the '58 Packard Hawk! :)
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,873
    The '56 Golden Hawk is the prettiest of the three years IMO, but a lot of folks prefer the idiosyncracies of the supercharger and also the reduced weight up front, versus the Packard V8's service issues, as well as those of the Packard Ultramatic.

    My favorite '50's Hawk is the '56 Sky Hawk. Stude 289, no fins, hardtop bodystyle, same interior as the Golden Hawk, and even fewer built (only about 3,000).

    Bill
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Some Hawks came with 4-speed manual trans also, which would be an additional fun factor as long as you weren't in heavy traffic a lot. I used to like those engine-turned dashboards on some Hawk models.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    ChryCo must've had rocks in their heads thinking that could compete with Mustangs.

    Well, Chrysler rushed the thing into production, so that they could beat the Mustang to the market. And I think they did, by a couple of weeks. Sad thing is, it was probably a better car than the Mustang in every respect...except for looks.

    Now by the time the 1967 came out, I think they turned the Barracuda into a sexy looking car. But the '64-66 was an awkward looking beast.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,381
    for sale along the side of the road, a white cougar. guessing a '73? when they got big and rounded, but before big bumpers I think, from what I could see. def. that 1970ish vintage.

    Then, driving along, a nice red testarossa. Realized how low, wide and actually pretty small the thing was.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    it was probably a better car than the Mustang in every respect...except for looks.

    How so? :confuse:

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

  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    You have to keep in mind that Andre is a big Mopar fan, and I would have to say that in the 6-cyl version, the Barracuda had a big advantage.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    Well, better built, for one thing. Back in those days, Chrysler tended to do small cars pretty well, and the Valiant that the Barracuda was based on was an excellent car. In contrast, Ford sort of just slapped the Mustang together. And the fact that it was wildly popular when it debuted meant they slapped them together even quicker. Although I'd imagine that, since the first Barracuda was a bit of a rush job, it might not have been as well-built as the Valiant it was based on.

    The Barracuda, IIRC, came standard with a 225 slant six and 145 hp, and if you got the automatic, it was the excellent Torqueflite 904. The Mustang came with that little 170 CID 6-cyl initially, which was good for all of 101 hp. Although to their credit, they soon replaced that with a 200 CID unit with 120 hp. I forget what automatic transmission Ford used back then, though? Could you get a 3-speed in a Mustang yet, or just a 2-speed?

    In V-8's, the Mustang initially offered a 164 hp 260 CID smallblock, while the Valiant had a 180 hp 273. Once Ford's 289 came out though, I'd say Ford had the definite advantage. I think that thing had up to 271 hp, while the best Mopar got out of the 273 was 235.

    The first Barracuda was a bigger car inside, too, although that can be either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on your preference. But then, that more upright profile that gave you more interior room did contribute to the dumpy looks.

    In base form, the Barracuda was probably a better handler...it was hard to beat that torsion bar/leaf spring setup in those days, and the Mustang was initially built to be cheap and sexy. But once the high-output versions hit the scene, you could probably build either one up to be whatever you wanted it to be.

    Oh, and the Barracuda wouldn't leak fuel like a Pinto in an 11 mph rear-end collision, either! :P :surprise: I always wondered how Ford got away with it for so long in the Falcon, Mustang, and even bigger cars with the drop-in gas tank. It wasn't until the Pinto that Ford finally got their chops busted.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,107
    I had a '65 Mustang with a 170/6 and a '72 Duster with the 198/6. While the Duster was one model newer, if the Barracuda was anything like the Duster in construction there would be no comparison. The Duster was a much more substantial car, the Mustang a flimsy rustbucket in comparison. I towed a small Uhaul trailer twice (Houston-San Francisco and back) with the Duster, something I'd never consider with the Mustang.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    I spotted another Gen I 'Cuda sitting in a driveway. It looked OK cosmetically but I couldn't tell if it was a runner.

    I also saw a 1971 Chevelle 350, not a Malibu tho it had the slotted wheels, a black vinyl roof over Metallic Gold and black stripes on the hood. It had the less agressive grille of the Chevelle.

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

  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    .....a 'Heavy Chevy':

    http://www.chevelles.com/years/72/heavychevy.html

    Basically a poor-man's SS, and available with any V8 and transmission combo, except for 454s. Built of the non-Malibu Chevelle two-door hardtop, in only 1971-72.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    It could have been but the one I saw had different wheels and lacked any side stripes It did have those hood pins tho.

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

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,906
    Chevette clone...

    Moving down the freeway at 65+..

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  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    After the $5.5 mil price tag for Mustang #212, this $185K Shelby Mustang #184 almost looks cheap. It's been a long time since I've seen a real Shelby like this cruising the streets in Ohio, but this Wisconsin car appears to have a tag on it.

    Interesting description by seller who points out that the original engine is gone. Still, that's a lot of Shelby history and Mustang fun even if the 289 is NOM.

    I like it, but wonder what it will ultimately sell for since the seller has apparently turned down a $175K offer (see the Q & A section).

    The Q & A refers to at least one other offer too:

    Q: Will you take $1500.00 for the Stang?
    A: No, but thanks.
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,023
    the last time I saw a 1957 DeSoto out on the streets, but finally saw one yesterday...image

    Okay, so maybe having mine towed off to the mechanic doesn't quite count, but I couldn't resist. :P

    Here's some more pics of the whole ordeal. It was a bit of a pain rolling it out of the garage, as the brakes had seized up a bit. We were able to push it about half way out, and then it just stopped. I ended up dragging it the rest of the way with my pickup. It was reluctant at first, but then broke free. That last pic is of my grandmother's now-empty garage, where the DeSoto used to reside. Looks so empty now, like it needs something else to fill it up! :shades:
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    Looks like a light rubbing compound application and a couple coats of wax would bring her back to life. Hopefully it will be easy to get back on the road.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    the price for a "driver" Shelby like this might be about $165,000 but the seller is not accounting for the BIG HIT of a NOM motor, which has to be at least a $30,000 deduct.

    Also the car has a lot of aftermarket stuff, which is okay, as long as it is all reversible.
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Rare to find a 57/58 Mopar withoput rust issues up north. Same goes for Ford products of that era. That DeSoto looks good (despite the tow truck)!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    80s time warp today...I saw an Audi 5000 Quattro, and no more than 45 seconds later spotted a Peugeot 505 wagon. Both of those have to be fun to keep on the road...parts found at any corner store no doubt.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I SPEET on the Audi 5000---the Peugeot was a much better car IMO (not that this is difficult when you're talking about an Audi 5000).

    Actually, if it were an Audi 5000 Quattro wagon with stickshift, that might be worth the pain. My neighbor has two---one that runs and the other for parts.

    You can find Peugeot parts if you know where to look---anything you really "need", but the little trim pieces, etc. are unobtanium.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    I remember when I was a little kid and those 5000 wagons were new, they seemed extremely futuristic to me...I guess in a world of Celebrities, K-cars, and leftover 70s barges, it was something from the future.

    I lived in a small town then, and someone there had one of those wagons. The nearest Audi dealer must have been 2 hours away...I can't see how they kept their sanity. I remember there were some odd cars around...a schoolmate of mine's dad had a 504 diesel, which was somehow interesting to me, there were several W126 and W123 diesels, and an old couple near my house had a beautifully kept 2-tone fintail, which at the time I didn't care for - too old and weird.

    I remember you just love the Peugeot 604 :P
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    I agree with you ... growing up in SoCal in the 70's and 80's, I encountered my fair share of oddballs.

    For a while, a next door neighbor owned an Audi 4000 ... the "5+5" model (5 cyl and 5 speed stick) ... in the "celery green" color of current VW New Beetles. I remember the combo Peugeot / Fiat store that was next to the bowling alley I frequented every Saturday - I really wanted my folks to buy a Fiat Brava when they were available (and am now glad that they didn't).

    I'm trying to remember if there was a Saab or Subaru store close by - I'm sure there was, just don't remember where.

    Ah, the days before the 'mega' dealership complex. A small showroom with 1 or 2 cars, a lot with maybe 10-20 cars and trucks (SUV? What were those?). A couple of service bays.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    I spent most of the 80s in a smallish (population ca. 12000) town, but it was 2 hours from any other real population centers, so it had a good amount of new car dealers - Big 3 and child brands, Honda, Toyota, Datsun/Nissan, VW, AMC. As it was kind of a semi-rural area, domestics were most prevalent, but there were oddities around too. I think all of the dealerships there were the small variety - showroom might hold 4 or 5 cars tops , maybe a couple dozen on the lot.

    I remember when the new 1985 Jettas came out, the new style...I was impressed by them. My dad was a hopeless lookie-loo, every other Sunday or so, he'd cruise by the lots and see if anything looked new. I remember looking at the Jetta with him, and liking how it seemed so modern and European, something I liked even then. I remember trying to talk my parents into buying one...but no deal.

    Our neighbors had a X1/9....green of course. It seemed extremely loud, which I liked. They also had a Toyota X-tra cab 4x4 that was a near twin to the one at the end of 'Back to the Future'...that seemed like an awesome truck, at a time when I had a little thing for the period 4-Runners, the removable top model. Of course, my dad had to go and buy a brown S-10 Blazer.

    One of my mother's friends had an Audi 4000 sedan, I remember it...and another of her friends had a diesel Rabbit. The parents of a kid I knew in passing from school had a 4000 2-door sedan...can't remember the last time I saw one of those. I remember someone in the area had a yellow Fiat Brava wagon...that was a weirdo even then. There was also an old lady in the neighborhood who had a Peugeot 604 with the "Automatique" badge...seemed insanely exotic to me. I can't imagine why people drove these freakshow cars when the dealer was hours away. Not what one would expect in small-town 80s car culture.

    It was a dry area, so lots of old metal around too. It was easy to snoop around people's backyards or garages and "discover" old cars. Ones I remember most were a Hudson Hornet in a backyard, and a 49-51 Mercury woody rotting away in the yard of an old guy with a mean dog. My best friend's grandparents had a ca. 1920 Cadillac "pullman" style sedan languishing in their garage. 60s cars generally didn't even make me look, too new. I do remember a girl at my school would get a ride in a Roadrunner once in a while...the paint scheme and decals caught my attention.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    When I was in college, one of the professors who owned an ad agency had a new 1985 Audi 5000 Quattro.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    That's cool memories. Before we left Poland in 1986, I remember seeing anything exotic on the streets in Poland was a big deal. me and my cousin would keep a tally on how many Porsches we saw in our lifetime because they were a rare sight back then in our country.

    The first time I saw a 928 parked on the street in the early 80s I was amazed. There was a crowd of people around it staring at it because it was a striking looking machine back then. I peeked inside and I was blown away when the speedo went up to 260 or 280 or so km/h when most of our family cars only showed a max of 160 or 180km/h on the speedometer.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    260 kph was probably 10-15 mph optimistic for an early 928, but the later S4 could do it I bet.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    Ferris Bueller's dad's car
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    I typed a bit much, but by the end I had a feeling you might enjoy it :shades:

    I used to count MB when we went on trips. I was a little weird, I guess. Porsches were very rare in my neck of the woods...I don't think I saw a 928 until around the time you did, and that was on a trip to the city. I liked those cars, and I remember it vividly, it was red. I also remember the first Ferrari I saw on the road, it was a grey 308 and I saw it ca. 1985.

    Back then most late model American cars had speedometers that only went to 80-85mph. Dark days.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    When I was in 7th or 8th grade (this was '77-'78), I had to do an oral report on any topic of our choosing.

    I had my dad take me to the local Porsche dealership where I got literature for the newly released 924.

    I cut out all the pictures from the brochure and created a collage from it.

    To this day, I remember struggling with the explanation of what cD meant .. for the 924, I think it was 0.36 or something like that, which was quite good for the era.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Don't forget the highlighted "55" on some speedos! Ugh! :sick:
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    When we came to Canada and I looked at the speedometers that only wnet up to 140km/h (84 or so mph) I was shocked and thought what the heck is wrong with these ugly cars? Why are they so slow? :confuse:

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    I think our Ciera had that feature. Geez, when I was 8 years old I knew 55 was silly.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    Coming from Italy to Canada must have been automotive culture shock, especially back then, when the NA market was really repressed...heck, I felt it after coming back from just a few weeks on the continent, and I still feel it when I drive.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Yeah it took me a while to get used to the huge land yachts with the wood dash trim, column shifters, and the deep plush upholstery. I'm still getting used to it now that I think about it, and sometimes admire the pure ugliness of it all. Some of these land yachts had some style (60s-70s), but most of the stuff from the 80s were just pure blah :sick:

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    This is fun... and short. Worth a view. :)

    Skoda Superb Tango
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    When did you make it to NA...around 1988-89 or so?

    I have to think back...I think at that time there was probably a Taurus and Tempo in the family...and my dad still had the S-10 Blazer. Not too ancient style-wise, for the times. I don't remember the Ciera having fake wood, but I swear the Taurus did...funny as it was the more modern car.

    The early 80s was not the golden age of the automobile.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,725
    what was the reaction to your report?
    could not have been any worse than mine about the yankees in parochial school in massachusetts. ;)
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    That's funny. I rode in a Skoda Octavia taxi in Israel 2 years ago. Decent car and it reminded me of VW because it shared some interior styling cues.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    We left Poland in 86 and went to Italy. We left Italy and came to Vancouver in 88. Been here ever since.

    So yeah, there were many leftover early 80s cars around too that just didn't do it for me.

    My parent's first car here was a 77 Volvo 245 wagon. Pea green too. Decent car I guess.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    I saw quite a few of those Superbs in Germany, where Skoda seems to have a following. I think it is an elongated Jetta.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    You arrived right at the end of malaise, and right before Van kind of exploded.

    I remember in the late 80s a relative of mine also had a Volvo wagon, I think it was a 76...and it was a pukey green. I remember it had a strange exhaust pipe.
  • hondaowner10hondaowner10 Member Posts: 21
    That Buick Century is frightening! I can't believe someone would put 26" wheels and that many speakers on that thing.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Burned up 58 Buick Limited Convertible---well it could be worth $100K when you're done but it's going to cost more than that to get there.

    Datsun F10 -- it was an awful car and everybody knew it.

    57 Bonny Fuelie --- it's not going to meet reserve, you watch. That car is very valuable.

    I-H Woody --- really ugly for a woody. The bid was more than enough for the looks & condition IMO.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    IIRC the Superb is Passat based. The Jetta-based Skoda is the Octavia.

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

  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    Which car wins the "most awful interior award"? Pretty close between the Shagariffic Dodge van and the '72 Cutlass. Monte Carlo a distant third.

    I'll bet that '74 "GTO" has some serious hidden rust issues.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Buick Riviera Packard - what a horrible lookin g thing, What a way to drag a good name through the mud. It's like putting a LeMans name on a korean hatchback - oh wait it's been done already too.

    Deville convertible. The back seat looks painfully uncomfortable. You'd think it would have a bigger back seat for such a huge car.

    70s Dodge Wagon - I can't believe there's a fireplace in there of all things. Plus imagine how many dust mites and fleas that interior holds right now. If you have allergies you'd probably die by sneezing in there.

    I like the Zagato bodied Lancia. Cool looking thing. One of a kind too for the money. I think it's a good buy.

    This Donk thing. I never really "got it." I grew up with import tuner cars, mini trucks, lowriders which I all like. I even like hot rods, resto rods, and rat rods too. But this donk thing is just weird. Good thing I haven't seen one in Vancouver yet. Maybe it's a southern thing, I don't know.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,429
    I think the Donk thing is very much an American phenomenon that greatly increases as you move south or east. Only a few of them here, and most ebay ads seem to be a ways away from here.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,676
    I'll vote for the 72 Cutlass. Ebayer says "Pictures don't do it justice." That's an understatement if I ever heard one!

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    I saw an old guy pull out of a driveway in one of those Loewy Studebaker two doors. It was nicely preserved but the chrome did look a little dull. Speaking of chrome, the grille surround was rather heavy compared to the '53-'54 so guessed it was about a '55. Looking at some pictures I found a '55 that looked just like it except it was white over turquoise paint:

    1955 Studebaker Commander Starliner>

    image

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

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