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

dieselone

Well that is something you don't see everyday. I haven't seen a DeLorean in a long time.

andre1969

in the parking lot outside the main gate, I saw a '71-72 Ford LTD...4-door hardtop! It was kind of a dull tapioca color with a black vinyl roof, some rust-through coming through along the lower body.

Nothing spectacular or earth-shaking, but it was kinda cool to see something like that still being used as daily transportation. I always liked that '71-72 style too, with the Bunkie-Knudsen inspired poke-through center section grille.

Mr_Shiftright

Hope it wasn't raining. :P

berri

I always enjoy seeing four doors and wagons at shows besides the coupes and convertible. Of course I love the wrap around 59/60 GM models and the mid 60's upper level 6 window models, but there were even some decent sedans.

As for the mid 70's, I think Chrysler had some of the better lookers. Unfortunately, they gained a reputation for poor reliability and their resale values reflected it. I'm not sure how Mopar made such a drastic change in quality rep from the 60's to the 70's? Maybe they went too fast with the electronic ignition stuff to meet new EPA regs.

bhill2

I can't recall ever having sat in a Corvair, at least not as a full-grown adult. I do remember reading an old Consumer Reports review of the first-gen though, that said the car was really a subcompact, although Chevy marketed it as a compact. I wonder how comfy I'd be behind the wheel of one, and if you could get a decent-sized adult behind me?

Andre, if you are still interested in this question, the answer is probably and probably not. I am 6 foot 2, and owned a '61 four-door. I was comfortable behind the wheel but wouldn't have liked to sit behind myself.

fintail

Today's evening commute oddity - white Olds Toronado XS. And it was excessive, in bright white with wide whites more suited for a 1958 Olds. Little old man driver. The car was all hood, and a funky rear to go along with it. Bizarre sight in a sea of modern cars.

fintail

We're in El Nino now, been dry all week. I like it.

There at least once was a DeLorean repair shop not more than a couple miles from me...so I see them now and then.

michaellno

Speaking of DeLoreans, there was one for sale some months back at one of the local lots. Can't remember what price they had on it, however.

Mr_Shiftright

DeLoreans seem to have plateaued at $12K--$15K for really nice ones. Maybe a bit more for a stunning show car.

If it were me, I'd put a SELL order on my Delorean collection right now, or a HOLD about buying one or selling one.

Values seem to be dropping about 10% a year. The bloom is off the rose.

I guess people thought it would be the next Tucker, except they forgot there were 51 Tuckers but over 8,500 DLs.

boomchek

The new DMC builds new Deloreans and restores old ones. Their starting prices are $57k+ for new ones. Their site is here

Mr_Shiftright

I think you'd be better off upgrading one than buying a very low miles original.

$30K for a Delorean? That's just foolish IMO. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

I've driven them. Zero fun factor, and how many times can you sit in a lawn chair and talk to people about "Back to the Future"?

I'm looking at one for sale right now in Hemmings....5,500 original miles, 5-speed transmission (most desirable), "runs and looks like a new car" ASKING price $19,750, price reduced from last month.

I think if you brought $15K in benjamins to this guy, you'd have yourself a nice DeL for 1/2 the prices on that website.

fintail

Preservation

Probably not many of these that are nicer

Big Riv

Andre-mobile with weird provenance

You can find parts for this at any Napa

"Creme Puff"

Gorgeous green machine

End of the line

Send it home

Have fun getting this registered

jrosasmc

How could a DeLorean not be fun? Although I've never driven one I'm sure they have at least adequate handling.

andys120

You can find parts for this at any Napa

I must've missed the news that Citroen was making Simcas. :sick: :confuse:

oregonboy

I'm sure that Ebay simply did not offer Simca as manufacturer selection. The seller chose an alternative French make.

andre1969

That's too weird...according to the VIN plate, that 1981 New Yorker was built on my birthday! AND Walter P. Chrysler's birthday! Maybe that's why I always felt sort of a bond to the R-body! And while I normally don't like brown, somehow I think that car pulls it off handsomely. I think that color combo was called mohogany over champagne, with a walnut interior, or something along those lines.

I'd often heard that they took the last R-body off the assembly line and took sledge hammers to it, to celebrate its demise! But that could have just been a joke. Or if it was done, they probably planned it so the last one was a stripped-down Newport or Gran Fury.

As sweet as that car looks on the outside though, I don't think it looks so hot under the hood. Honestly, my $500 '79 looked better, once the mechanic steam cleaned it.

Mr_Shiftright

Deloreans are gutless, which is why nobody bought one. Picture yourself in a brand-new Corvette powered by a Toyota Yaris engine. :P

boomchek

I've driven them. Zero fun factor, and how many times can you sit in a lawn chair and talk to people about "Back to the Future"?

Haha, funny, I bet that's what most owners do talk about. I liked those movies by the way.

I guess with a 4 cylinder motor and 3 speed auto it's no sports car.

Mr_Shiftright

I think it has a rather mundane Peugeot V-6. It was supposed to be a Lotus turbo but that never happened. Also the water leaks, electrical failures and high maintenance stainless steel finish, as well as a high price and really bad quality control, all contributed to the failure.

boomchek

Maybe you're a reincarnation of Walter P Chrysler hence your love and in depth knowledge of Mopars and domestic cars in general :P

boomchek

That Supra does look really clean and well looked after. I will agree that the older generation cared for their possessions really well. I think our generation is just so used to having everything disposable and needing to have something new all the time that not many people really care about preserving anything. :sick:

kyfdx

Really? For some reason, I always thought the DeLorean had a Chevy V-8.

Did they ever do conversions? ala the Jag XJ6?

texases

I guess you could put a v8 in there, but it came with that wheezy v6, hanging off the back like a Porsche, just without the hp!

Mr_Shiftright

No, no Chevy V-8. I doubt the car could handle the power or the noise.

It was an OHV V-6 (same as the Volvo) with 130 HP (USA model w/ emissions) and 0-60 about the same as a Scion xA or xB would be today. Weight was nearly 3,000 lbs and MSRP was $25,000 or about $62,000 in today's money.

Such a deal, eh?

You'd think the monkeys would have at least put in the Volvo 4 cylinder turbo.

arizonaray

A freind of mine in Tucson had a DeLorean, way back. Took it around the block and didn't get that much of a thrill. I owned the XJ6 jag ('82) for a while. Had to be very aware of my foot. That SOB flew. Loved that car. High maint. though. Yet, my favorite of all my cars was the 1970 442 Olds. If I should have held on to just one of my cars that was the one. I saw one the other day here in Scottsdale and I still haven't gotten rid of the envious, green feeling. Beautiful, fast, economic, and very sexy muscle car. I'll miss it always.

Mr_Shiftright

They had to dub in the exhaust sounds for the Back to the Future movie. The original Delorean sounds like a can full of gnats.

arizonaray

I couldn't have described it better. I remember that sound in the DeLorean. It also had a vacuous sense inside the car. Not the warmest quietest interior.
I remember everyone talking about our friends car, the De..., but that changed soon after he started bitching about it.

arizonaray

You know, I have to honestly say that the '60s and '70s were the best cars ever made. OK maybe not the Corvair ... but Chevy and Ford were putting out the muscle cars that will never be matched for performance and self maintenance.

arizonaray

For the 'older' guys (and gals) .. "If I could own one car out of the '60s and '70s it would be a ..."

boomchek

I'd own a 63 Impala convertible that I'd turn into a lowrider with hydraulics and relive my grade dream of being a rapper.

arizonaray

I had a '62 Impala all through high school. Raked, bigger tires on rear, bucket seats. Made a lot of girls happy in that car. Loved the Impala. Did all my own maintenance.

arizonaray

I take that back It was the '64 Impala.. Memory isn't what it used to be.

boomchek

I meant to say my grade 8 dream

arizonaray

boom - Guess your memory is going a little too? Unless of course, you were in 8th grade within the last ten years.

euphonium

'66 Mustang GT Coupe, Ivy Green Metallic with the Pony Ivy Gold interior. Bought it in 1967 & have kept it ever since. When going through some challenging financial times, selling it was tempting, but kept it anyway.

boomchek

Ummm, now I feel old. I entered grade 8 almost 20 years ago!!! Yikes!

uplanderguy

I'm a weirdo; I grew up in a Chevy family but love Studebakers. I'd pick a supercharged, disc brake, floor-shift 3-speed automatic 1964 Gran Turismo Hawk, dark green with a black vinyl top. Then, I'd pick a '64 Daytona convertible, red with 4-speed. Then, I'd pick a turquoise '63 Avanti, supercharged, any trans, then I'd pick a '64 Studebaker Champ pickup, red, any engine/trans.

After that, I'd pick an Iris Mist '65 Pontiac Bonneville Sports Coupe with bucket seats and console. Terrific instrument panel. I'd want eight-lug wheels.

Then I'd pick a '69 Corvair Monza Sport Coupe, 140 engine with 4-speed.

Then, I'd pick a '62 Corvette with hardtop. Any color but red, white, silver, or black. It could have the smallest engine and Powerglide and I'd be happy.

Not a traditional 'muscle car' in the bunch!

Bill

uplanderguy

The 1971 Caprice Coupe with 4,670 (believable) miles, mentioned here earlier in the week, was bid to $15,100 but did not meet reserve. Just a "FYI".

Bill

Mr_Shiftright

Well now we know what the best '71 Caprice Coupe in the world is worth I guess.

fintail

I think that's a fantastic bid for a period car with no "muscle" cred...especially in this economy. No doubt the preservation and color combo helped.

fintail

Drove by a local high end used car lot this morning...they had a flint grey W211 E63, which is relatively uncommon...and a W220 S65, which is very uncommon...too bad it was black. That's a W220 I wouldn't mind having.

imidazol97

>W220 S65,

Trying to figure out the differences in the 3-digit Mercedes names, I went to Wiki.

That car is available from 204 horsepower to 604 horsepower in a V12!!!

Large picture

fintail

Yep, that's the one.

We never got the 204hp unit on this continent, our lowest was a 245 hp V6 offered as a lowline model for a short time....and the early models are insanely troublesome, I wouldn't take an early one for free - and I am a MB fan. They have a number of expensive bugs, including issues which can make the car undriveable. Although most are OK, some of the cars are money pits. The later models have proven to be much better.

The 604hp model is the S65 I saw. I think that one has 738 lb/ft of torque too, just an insane car. New cost would have been nearly 200K...a 4 year old model might be 50K.

dieselone

The 604hp model is the S65 I saw. I think that one has 738 lb/ft of torque too, just an insane car.

Just the thought of that makes me drool.

How many S65's came state side? Can't be to many.

Mr_Shiftright

Not that you'll ever use 1/3 of it in the USA.

jrosasmc

I didn't actually spot the following car, but it does appear in an article of the March issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine, which I recently got in the mail.

Said car is a '74 Alfa Romeo 2000 Berlina (the 4-door sedan) that has been owned by the original owner since it was new. I know this model is one of your favorite Alfas so I figured I'd make a comment about it. But what struck me was this: the article's writer says that only about 3,400 Berlinas came to America between 1972 and 1974. I thought that was kind of funny, because I always assumed that Berlinas were hot sellers back in their heyday, like BMW 2002s and MGBs were.

fintail

My ancient weakling E55 with a mere 400 lb/ft is a joy to drive simply from the torque....acceleration is a nice thing to have on any car, but linear effortless acceleration is so enjoyable.

I think about 400 units of the S65 came each year in 05 and 06. The V12 to have is a CL65, I think only about 100 of those came per year. The problem for both cars, IMO, is that most of them are black.

On the note of that flint grey E63...I was out for a walk, and saw another one...so now that two exist locally, it appeals to me much less :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

Only 3,400? That does seem strange. Then all 3400 must still exist because I see them all the time out here in California. I can think of 3 or 4 with walking distance from my house, and there's usually 1 or 2 on craigslist in San Fran.

I do like those cars, very much. Really fun to drive. Not many 4-doors were sporting and fun in those days.

stickguy

what year is your car? I was leafing though the local auto trader (the supermarket freebie), and a dealer has a 2005 E55 (supercharged) listed. Is that the same model as yours?

fintail

My car is an 02, last of the W210s, NA engine. Different beast than a supercharged car...slower, but easier to maintain, less thirsty, and generally better build quality. I can't say I have faith in the kompressor design...AMG stuck with it for only a few years, I can't believe they'd abandon it for no reason.