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

fintail

I am sure the SC version of the 3800 is the one to have for the best power delivery.

fintail

I don't think traction control can prevent a chirp or a short burst of wheelspin. In my E55 I always leave the TC on, and I can get wheelspin in many situations, especially in heavy acceleration downshift scenarios from a slowish speed. It will also chirp the tires, just a little. The tires are getting old though, that might be a part of it. 14.3mpg? That's about what my computer will say I get in the city too...but I admit I do like to kind of lay into it sometimes :shades: ...I will also admit I have never read my manual either...it's hardbound, which is a sign it is too big. MB did do something right by also offering a little FAQ-style manual, with tips for the climate control and now stone-age nav etc.

dieselone

Speaking of which, I thought traction control was supposed to keep you from being able to chirp the tires?

1st, not all traction control systems are created equal. 2nd, like ABS, spin/slip has to happen before the system recognizes loss of traction, so a simple chirp of the tires is probably all but impossible to avoid.

Like early single channel ABS systems that reduced braking to all wheels when only one was slipping, newer 4 channel ABS and latest generation traction control systems have improved a lot.

The traction control system in my 07 Expedition is night and day better than the system in my wife's 07 Grand Prix. The GP allows a lot more wheel spin, plus it doesn't have any mechanism to redirect power to the wheel with traction (not a knock on GM as I know they offer better systems). Even in 2wd mode, I can easily go up my driveway with ice just on one side of the drive way in the Expedition. The traction control system will activate the brake on the wheel that is spinning to transfer power to the wheel that has traction (crude way of doing it, but it is effective), plus the system in the Expe is much quicker to react to wheel spin and does a much better job of controlling the throttle.

imidazol97

>it doesn't have any mechanism to redirect power to the wheel with traction

Does the Expedition have a limited slip mechanism to do that? Or are you saying it's a result of quickly keeping the free wheel from spinning very fast?

dieselone

Does the Expedition have a limited slip mechanism to do that? Or are you saying it's a result of quickly keeping the free wheel from spinning very fast?

The Expedition's traction control system uses throttle control plus it applies the individual brake on the spinning wheel to slow it down, that transfers torque to the other wheel with traction.

explorerx4

After watching the Park Ave clip, I noticed an SHO clip over to the right, so I watched the reports for the 89, 92, and 96 models, since I(we) had all of those first year editions.
Thanks for making my day, with a little trip down memory lane. :shades:
I thought it was funny that the 0-60 time of the '89 SHO was half of any of the other Taurus models. :surprise:

fintail

That Youtube user has some very interesting old footage, it's amazing someone bothered to archive all of that, and we are better off that they did.

Funny thing with the SHO...the V8 version has always seemed the tamest to me.

dieselone

Funny thing with the SHO...the V8 version has always seemed the tamest to me.

I've sampled both a versions and the later v8 SHO was like an executive cruiser compared to the original v6 SHO that had much more attitude. I used to own a '98 Ford SVT Contour and it was more like the original v6 SHO except with better brakes and a better suspension.

explorerx4

I had a real affection for our Gen 3 SHO, which was actually my wife's car. It was black with chrome rims. That little V8, had the best start up sound.
It got your day off to a good 'start'.
Also. we made it through the worst driving conditions I have ever encountered.
It was Easter weekend in 1997. On the way back from Michigan, driving on I-90 through New York, we hit huge snow.
Cars were off the highway everywhere. You couldn't read any of the signs due to the snow stuck to them and none of the exits were plowed, so we couldn't stop or get off the highway.
When we got to Mass, it got worse. I should have taken a hint by all the 18 wheelers stopped at the state border, but kept going.
At one point, after we got off the turnpike, i drove over someone's lawn to drive around downed power wires. I was able to drives around several other downed wires while staying on the road.
Less that 10 miles from home we hit some ice under the snow cover and started to lose it, but managed to straighten out and continue. At this time, I was driving way under the normal limit because we were so close to home.
When we got to the last major intersection after driving over 15 hours, ther was no power. Lucky for us, our street still had power when we got home.
When my wife decided it was time for a new car, I told her I would take the SHO and we could swap out my Explorer, but she wouldn't take that deal, so it ended up getting traded in.
I saw that car for quite a few years, after we traded it in.
One time, I even saw it for sale privately, and asked her if she wanted to buy it back. :surprise:

dieselone

Yeah, the 3.4 v8 was pretty sweet. I remember being impressed with how it sounded and how smooth it was. It was a much more refined car than the original SHO.

fintail

Sounds like a nice car, and that's a great memory. Out here, I've never had to deal with anything like that.

Starting up a nicely tuned V8 is a pleasure, indeed. My E55, with its resonator removed, sounds very nice during the fast idle time when started cold.

explorerx4

i'm dying to start up my mustang, but it's too cold.
usually, in jan/feb it warms up for a few days and I put a heat lamp under the oil pan for a while, use my cold start procedure, run the car for a while.
we just haven't had that situation this winter.

Mr_Shiftright

You should get one of those Greer starters they use to fire up jet engines at the airport. :P

british_rover

The Yamaha V8 in the last gen, err third gen now I guess, SHO was the basis for the 4.4 liter V8 that Volvo uses in the S80 and XC90 and they all sound great at start up.

Real nice burble but the first two years that the made the V8 for Volvo they had problems with the bearing in the balance shaft. It is fixed now but all of the first two year models need the shaft replaced at some point.

bumpy

Real nice burble

Because it's a 60-degree V8?

british_rover

Yup reason for the kind of interesting burble, sounds like it is an old school big blog with a high lift cam, and also the reason for the balance shaft.

fintail

Today's exciting sighting - Suzuki Esteem sedan

explorerx4

just like our '96 SHO

fintail

The V8 sound remains hard to beat

dieselone

Well, for those who are stuck with a 4 cylinder or lame 6 cylinder, check this out. It's hilarious.

sound racer v8

Can make your lowly Cobalt sound like a big block Chevelle.

Mr_Shiftright

I love that thing...virtual reality comes to the mini-van!

dieselone

sounds sweet. Definitely sounds bigger than 3.4 liters.

dieselone

all I need is a chevette with a boomin sound systems. That thing cracks me up.

fintail

If I was stuck in a 4cyl blandbox, I might get one of those. I often drive without the radio on in my cars, just to listen to them. Even the little I6 in my fintail can make enough noises to keep me occupied. But when I drive something like my mom's Camry...it's tough not to doze off.

fintail

Spotted my favorite local little old lady in her unusual daily driver today:

dieselone

nice!

fintail

The car can't be unrestored....appears cleaned up to driver condition. I see it around a few times a month. I suspect it's an original owner too.

euphonium

What is hooked on the back of the front passenger seat?

fintail

No idea. I've actually never caught in a parking lot to look inside...although I apparently just missed it as it was pulling out from a lot a couple blocks from where I live.

imidazol97

What does it say on the rear of the Mustang?

Is it a 68? or 67? It has the reverse hood scooops with the turn signal indicators embedded in them. Did they have that in '68?

I don't recall seeing one of those with the CS and all on the side.

Have you got a bigger version of the picture?

texases

That's a "California Special", a pretty extensive trim job, including the side scoops, spoiler, and sequential turn signals off of the Shelby/Tbird. It was a '68 model, according to CS web site

ghulet

....it has the mandatory as of '68 side marker lights. California Special and GT, very cool.

fintail

No bigger pic, sorry imad...it's from my phone. It could still be on there, I can look if you want it.

And yeah, pretty cool...I wish my grandma drove something like that :shades:

texases

Someone tried to sell my FIL a 'California Special' Mustang, he sent me a picture (knew I liked Mustangs), just a regular 68 with some trim stripes

euphonium

hardtop outfitted with several dress up trim items. Among those were a blackout grill,rectangular fog lights, the functional louvered hood, special striping effects, side air scoops, wide tail lights (65 T Bird) rear deck lid with built in spoiler and a pop open gas cap. The promotion was limited to less than 5,000 units. No special handling or engine modifications. Last year for the 289 Challenger V8.

Mr_Shiftright

Some people like to think of the CS as something special, but in terms of pricing I prefer to put them right along with a regular GT hardtop, nothing more or less.

andys120

I spotted a '55 Chevy BelAir H/T in a fitness center parking lot. The car had shiny red paint (monotone), good chrome and straight bodywork. Looked stock except for a set of exceptionally tasteful dubs.

There was a slight waviness to the body panels but overall this car looked pretty nice.

xrunner2

That is a dopey looking car and an afront to the 67-68 classic Mustang fastback and the Steve McQueen legend dark green fastback. I had a 67 GT fastback with 289 high-perf solid lifters, etc. That wimpy plum/red notchback with apparent padded top and some kind of grafted on rear end is an abomination. The personification of Mustang in the late 60's was Steve McQueen's dark green fastback 67-68 from the movie Bullitt. The reincarnation of Mustang of 2005 was based on fastback of 67-68.

ghulet

....'dopey looking', because you don't happen to like the color combo? It looks original, fairly rare, a neat somethin'-to-look-at (and the rear end is not grafted on), though we're all entitled to our opinions. I do love the dark green GT fastback, they're beautiful.

fintail

Yeah, it's inoffensive, a sporty-looking special edition...they do the same thing now. In that vein, it was ahead of its time. Probably aimed at the customer who is driving it now...40 years ago she was young and maybe even a little hip, but not a sports car driver, but she wanted the look.

lemmer

I was next to a third generation RX-7 (the last ones) at a traffic light yesterday. It clearly had a healthy V8 in it and it was really, really cool. I know the purists hate it but those cars had fragile overboosted engines that were lucky to get much past 60K, not to mention all the electrical gremlins they had with the engine and turbos.

dieselone

I've always loved those 3rd gen Rx-7s. My brother had a 2nd generations and those rotary engines are a lot of fun.

Mr_Shiftright

Are there really any RX-7 "purists"? I didn't think anybody cared.

fintail

This evening I spotted a black Pantera, and then about 15 minutes later, a grey Checker station wagon. Earlier today I saw a Karmann Ghia covered in stickers. Top those for obscurity :P

british_rover

Saw a merkur XR4Ti on the way home. He blew past me turbo screaming in the right lane while I was already doing 65 in a 50 in the left lane up a hill in a 525iT.

dieselone

This evening I spotted a black Pantera, and then about 15 minutes later, a grey Checker station wagon. Earlier today I saw a Karmann Ghia covered in stickers. Top those for obscurity :P

Well, that would be tough to top. Wow a Pantera, can't remember the last time I saw one of those, it definitely was at a car show.

andys120

Speaking of Panteras, I saw this sad sight in Scottsdale last month>

dieselone

bummer

Mr_Shiftright

It IS a bummer---if it's any consolation, a Pantera is not all that high dollar a car. A careful shopper can find a good one for around $40--45K these days. They made over 5,600 of them, so they're around. The trick is finding one that hasn't been all "boy-racer" modified.

dieselone

I always thought the Pantera was very cool car. Probably one of the few somewhat affordable exotics, at least the 351 v8 can't be to expensive to keep running. It does suck to see one crunched up.