OMG!!! My Uncle Daniel had a 1973 Cadillac Sedan DeVille similar to the one you posted. It was the same shade of green, same interior, except it had a white vinyl roof.
My mom had a bloated mid 70s T-Bird, white on white. By the time the early 80s rolled around and a couple of kids had been transported in the car, it wasn't exactly looking like new inside :shades:
One car that probably looked sharp back in its day was my '68 Dart hardtop. It was white with a white/burgundy interior. The vinyl seats, door panels, and armrests were white, while the carpet, ceiling, dash, all the exposed metal, etc, was burgundy.
I really like that too. The late 80s Town Cars were available that way. You could get a white exterior with either white leather seats and red carpet/dash or my personal favorite white leather and blue carpets/dash.
Passed a guy I know in his 1970ish Caddy convertible. Plates are a variation on "land yacht", which is appropriate.
and stopped at oppostite sides of a stop light, a 1970-72 Cutlass convertible, and a '69ish Plymouth (don't think it was a GTX, maybe a road runner). One of the ones that is all flat surfaces.
While running around the island, I spotted a junked mid '60s Thunderbird next to someone's house. Another person had a neglected circa 1980 Camaro in his front yard. I wonder how those cars got there originally. Neither looked to have moved under their own power in years.
I also saw a Corvette C5 with the full body kit that attempts to make it look like a '53 model. I always thought those looked hideous in pictures, but you know what? It looks at least a hundred times worse in person.
I don't think it was standard - all of them didn't have it...but it was a popular trim package, IIRC called "Highlander". In a late 40s way, it works well enough.
I was scanning another discussion on this board (the GAZ-13 "Chaika" one). The car has a pushbutton auto trans, and posters were speculating where it came (was copied) from. Almost all US manufacturers offered at least one pushbutton job sometime during the '50s and early '60s. Chrysler was famous for them, American Motors had them during that time, Packard used them at least one or two years in there, and even Ford offered one in the '58 Edsel. However, I do not remember any GM cars that had them. Can anyone else?
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
I love the looks of that '81 Eldorado Biarritz 8-6-4, but why does a 25K-mile car have no bodyside moldings that came standard on the car? I have never seen a single one of that era without them...and I've seen a ton over the years. This certainly implies a repaint. Still, that bodystyle Eldo is a modern-day classic IMHO.
Bill
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Let's keep these Catera sightings coming! Now that my wife refuses to drive it any longer, it's become my hobby car....The BMW or Benz I never had.....
It really is a lot of fun to drive....But I am amazed just how problematic it is to most owners. But so far,our 2001 with 63,000 miles on it has been pretty manageable....
Now that you've jogged my memory I do remember that. Late '50s, right? In fact, you could get Merc-o-matic (same as a Ford-o-matic?) with one 'drive' button or a more upscale one (something like Twin-Control Merc-o-matic, probably the same as Cruise-o-matic on a Ford) which had two 'drive' buttons.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
In the past I've posted a few pics of the cars owned by the "local Andre", the guy who has a 68 Chrysler, a couple of Eldos, 61 Ford, W126, couple of Civics, etc. that I can see from my front room window. Today when I got home I noticed another car parked by his place...a while later I looked out the window just as it was driving away, and snapped a pic (through the window screen):
Maybe he bought another car.
Also saw a 63-67 Vette roadster, but didn't see it close enough to determine the year.
That's a cool picture. Did the guys in it see you taking the pic? They look like they're looking in your direction, and the way the passenger has his fist raised in a "Power to the People" sort of pose, it almost looks like they were posing for you!
Your neighborhood reminds me a bit of mine, in the way the closer part of it looks all neat and finished off and kind of picture-book suburbia, but then the sidewalk just stops, and it's like you cross a line and end up in the country.
About 12 years ago, my little country road got widened, to four lanes in some places, with a housing development going up on one side, and a school and park going up on the other. And on my side of the street, there's a sidewalk. But then, once you get down to my end of the street, the sidewalk ends, and the road goes from 4 lanes down to a narrow two.
The county's been threatening to widen the rest of our road, and straightening out a treacherous S-curve and flattening some hills at the end of the road, so I guess eventually those extra lanes and sidewalk will come my way. However, I also found out that the county's been making that same threat since the 1970's, and the only reason the one part of the road even got widened in the first place was because Timberlake Homes and the school split the bill for it. So, I guess my old cars and I should be secure for a few years, yet.
I peeked through the blinds, so I don't know if they saw me...it was a quick pic. I think someone just bought a new toy, and was playing around on the warmest day of the year so far. Funny pic. I will have to see if the Boss Hogg mobile sticks around.
My neighborhood is just like that. I am on the border of medium-high density pseudo-urban development, and the old suburban area. My street is the divider - apartments/condos, light commercial, and corporate offices on one side, overpriced mostly 50s single family housing on the other side. Go another few blocks behind me and there are 30+ story skyscrapers...it's pretty abrupt.
....and not really my 'thing' (everyone knows I want a big, purple Cadillac, so I can drive around and laugh at all the poor people), but it's quite cool anyway:
That's a lot of money for an S3 coupe. That's convertible dollars. Well it is a non US version, so that might boost value. If I were bidding, I'd put some aside to buy an old used tow truck.
....like I said, I barely know what the thing is (I mean, I know Lotus, and that they're, uh, maybe not the most reliable British car on earth :P ), or anything about its worth on the 'market', but it is cool looking.
Lotus cars back then were noted for a)superb chassis and handling b) light weight c) ornery engines and d) parts falling off with unsettling regularity. Colin Chapman, boy genius, was obsessed with lighter weight.
When he went to his first Indy 500, he saw the huge HP front engine cars and said something to the effect: "These things are monsters. I could beat them with a car 1/3 the weight and with less HP".
And he did, too. And that's why all Indy cars have the engine behind the driver, to this day.
Lotus cars back then were noted for a)superb chassis and handling b) light weight c) ornery engines and d) parts falling off with unsettling regularity. Colin Chapman, boy genius, was obsessed with lighter weight.
When he went to his first Indy 500, he saw the huge HP front engine cars and said something to the effect: "These things are monsters. I could beat them with a car 1/2 the weight and with less HP".
And he did, too. And that's why all Indy cars have the engine behind the driver, to this day.
The first Lotus I saw (a 1st gen. Elan, I think) had that 'broken back' look I understand came from structural failure of the fiberglass chassis. Light yes, durable, no...
Heck of a lot of fun to drive, though. That's when "sports car" meant a bare bones car dedicated solely to performance, with no driver aids whatsoever. You do something wrong, you roll over, burst into flames, or hit a tree or barrier. More like riding a very fast horse. You'd better know what you are doing.
The 60s were a great time for sports car. The MGB, Lotus Elite and Elan, and the Alfa Romeos were all great driving, very forgiving cars, with adequate weather protection to boot.
....I think it was a '60 or '61 Dodge Dart Phoenix convertible (maybe?.....it had the reverse fins that didn't go all the way to the end of the car). And a Simca in the background.
Also, a gray or gray/tan with a light tan interior, '68 Mercury Park Lane Brougham four-door hardtop, driven by a famous cop (rather than the usual black on black). Gorgeous, period funky green with white top '68 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible, also.
Last, a '65-ish Ford Fairlane station wagon, and a '73 Galaxie 500 four-door hardtop.
Unfortortunately, the first two were on "Leave it to Beaver", the second two on "Hawaii Five-O" and the last two on "Streets of San Francisco" reruns. Unemployment's a bee-yotch. :P
1985 today.... on the way home I saw a mid 80s Dodge Lancer 4dr and a same era Dodge Aries 2dr both in great shape and both in the same color (pale blue) right behind one another.
Unfortortunately, the first two were on "Leave it to Beaver", the second two on "Hawaii Five-O" and the last two on "Streets of San Francisco" reruns. Unemployment's a bee-yotch.
I dunno...that post of yours is making it sound kind of fun! :shades: Seriously though, I hope things get better for ya soon!
And yeah, the reverse tailfins would be a '61 Dodge. The '60 had normally-oriented fins, which went all the way to the back on Darts, but stopped short (and started earlier) on the bigger Matador/Polara.
On the 1961 models, the fins are more similar, but the quickest way to tell a Polara from a Dart is the Polara has an extra taillight stuck in between the fin and the crease below it, and has a resemblance to an ingrown toenail. The Darts just have the little taillights in back, just above the bumper. The Dart is also shorter than the Polara, but that's not always obvious, unless you see the two side-by-side.
I ask because I never see any, at any of the old car shows I go to. Last year of production was 1955? How many of these cars survive today? I agree, they were nothing special-either esthetically or technically, but Kaiser does have a place in the history of American automobiles. Are parts hard to find for K-F cars today? I'd like to hear from some aficionados here!
There's a car show in Macungie, PA first weekend of every August that usually has a few. That show always puts one model or marque or style on the pedestal each year and I remember one year they highlighted K-F, and there was a pretty good turnout. In fact, I think they had a better turnout the year they highlighted K-F's than they did the year they highlighted DeSoto.
They might not have been much technically, but as far as style, I think they were pretty modern in many ways. The 1947 models were conservatively styled, to be sure, but they had smooth sides with integrated rear fenders, something some of the Big Three models wouldn't get around to until 1955!
And that Vagabond model they had was pretty cool...sort of a pre-historic crossover! I know other manufacturers tried similar things, so I can't remember now if K-F was the first.
Those 1951 models seemed pretty radical for the time, as well. And I always thought those rattan interiors were cool.
They have a small following of collectors, mostly those who deal in the under $20,000 range, and even under $10,000 range.
A few models are popular outside of the tiny Kaiser "cult", such as the Virginian and the Dragon, but here again, their value does not justify their restoration.
One exception is the Kaiser-Darrin sports car, which can pull serious money ($50K + ??) and which is, in my opinion, the only really "collectible" Kaiser that is actively sought after.
Only problem with the Kaiser Darrin is that I keep wanting to call it the Derwood, Dustbin, Derek, Derweed, or just, Whats-his-name. :P
Oh, and that reminds me of another place those things tend to pop up...the October car show and swap meet at Hershey PA. It just popped into my mind, because I saw a Darrin convertible there this past fall I think. Or if not then, one of the other years. They all start running together after awhile!
....but yes, the Darrin (Derwood) is a really cool car (please count the number of other cars with sliding pocket doors?) and probably would have been competitive with the Corvette and Thunderbird if it hadn't such an obscure brand. What was that one Kaiser sedan (the one with the widow's-peak windshield)? Kinda neat looking car, really, and IIRC stylish and inexpensive at the time (though I better look up that last part).
Spotted tonight: a very nice burgandy Merkur Scorpio, a '68 or '69 Chevrolet short-bed, stepside 4x4, in not the greatest shape, but how many exist now? Last, in one of the neighborhood's many, many, many BHPH dealerships (this one has a showroom, and this was inside), a '73 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, as far as I could tell, by peeking in the window, in fantastic condition, with the period-cool Saturn Bronze Firemist Poly (aka rust-metallic) and off-white leather interior and vinyl top. Marked $4900 on the windshield, which I thought quite reasonable (especially considering the silly $15k that one green SDV fetched on eFool). Obvious points: probably not the car for a currently fiscally-challenged person, and 1973 was not a good year for any vehicle sold in the U.S. (awful gas mileage, especially on this one, but also newly smog-choked). And those damn bumpers showed up. Plus, it would only fit in our 'normal' two-car garage sideways, if at all :surprise:
Comments
Silver BWM 635i M
Silver Porsche Spyder
Blue 1966 Chevrolet Impala
Blue 1950 Ford F-1 truck
...in Lambertville, NJ:
Black and tan 1978 Cadillac Eldorado
Tan 1932 Chrysler phaeton
This morning at Martins Mill Road and Bingham St. in NE Philly:
Red 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza coupe
Blue 1976 AMC Pacer
I really like that too. The late 80s Town Cars were available that way. You could get a white exterior with either white leather seats and red carpet/dash or my personal favorite white leather and blue carpets/dash.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Passed a guy I know in his 1970ish Caddy convertible. Plates are a variation on "land yacht", which is appropriate.
and stopped at oppostite sides of a stop light, a 1970-72 Cutlass convertible, and a '69ish Plymouth (don't think it was a GTX, maybe a road runner). One of the ones that is all flat surfaces.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I imagine this one wpould be even faster. But for the price maybe it's a rebuilt or had a huge accident already :confuse:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I also saw a Corvette C5 with the full body kit that attempts to make it look like a '53 model. I always thought those looked hideous in pictures, but you know what? It looks at least a hundred times worse in person.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
However, I think I would just wait for the W212 E63 to depreciate to affordability...doesn't take an eon.
All that's missing is Audrey Hepburn wearing a long scarf blowing in the wind sitting next to a lead male actor driving...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Bill
It really is a lot of fun to drive....But I am amazed just how problematic it is to most owners. But so far,our 2001 with 63,000 miles on it has been pretty manageable....
Now that you've jogged my memory I do remember that. Late '50s, right? In fact, you could get Merc-o-matic (same as a Ford-o-matic?) with one 'drive' button or a more upscale one (something like Twin-Control Merc-o-matic, probably the same as Cruise-o-matic on a Ford) which had two 'drive' buttons.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Maybe he bought another car.
Also saw a 63-67 Vette roadster, but didn't see it close enough to determine the year.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Your neighborhood reminds me a bit of mine, in the way the closer part of it looks all neat and finished off and kind of picture-book suburbia, but then the sidewalk just stops, and it's like you cross a line and end up in the country.
About 12 years ago, my little country road got widened, to four lanes in some places, with a housing development going up on one side, and a school and park going up on the other. And on my side of the street, there's a sidewalk. But then, once you get down to my end of the street, the sidewalk ends, and the road goes from 4 lanes down to a narrow two.
The county's been threatening to widen the rest of our road, and straightening out a treacherous S-curve and flattening some hills at the end of the road, so I guess eventually those extra lanes and sidewalk will come my way. However, I also found out that the county's been making that same threat since the 1970's, and the only reason the one part of the road even got widened in the first place was because Timberlake Homes and the school split the bill for it. So, I guess my old cars and I should be secure for a few years, yet.
Those /8 coupes seem to have a high survival rate.
My neighborhood is just like that. I am on the border of medium-high density pseudo-urban development, and the old suburban area. My street is the divider - apartments/condos, light commercial, and corporate offices on one side, overpriced mostly 50s single family housing on the other side. Go another few blocks behind me and there are 30+ story skyscrapers...it's pretty abrupt.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140393205483#v4-35-
When he went to his first Indy 500, he saw the huge HP front engine cars and said something to the effect: "These things are monsters. I could beat them with a car 1/3 the weight and with less HP".
And he did, too. And that's why all Indy cars have the engine behind the driver, to this day.
When he went to his first Indy 500, he saw the huge HP front engine cars and said something to the effect: "These things are monsters. I could beat them with a car 1/2 the weight and with less HP".
And he did, too. And that's why all Indy cars have the engine behind the driver, to this day.
The 60s were a great time for sports car. The MGB, Lotus Elite and Elan, and the Alfa Romeos were all great driving, very forgiving cars, with adequate weather protection to boot.
Also, a gray or gray/tan with a light tan interior, '68 Mercury Park Lane Brougham four-door hardtop, driven by a famous cop (rather than the usual black on black). Gorgeous, period funky green with white top '68 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible, also.
Last, a '65-ish Ford Fairlane station wagon, and a '73 Galaxie 500 four-door hardtop.
Unfortortunately, the first two were on "Leave it to Beaver", the second two on "Hawaii Five-O" and the last two on "Streets of San Francisco" reruns. Unemployment's a bee-yotch. :P
Hey, those were all great shows. Could use more of this stuff today.
Hang in there, the economy seems to be turning so hopefully things will start looking up soon. Good luck!
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I dunno...that post of yours is making it sound kind of fun! :shades: Seriously though, I hope things get better for ya soon!
And yeah, the reverse tailfins would be a '61 Dodge. The '60 had normally-oriented fins, which went all the way to the back on Darts, but stopped short (and started earlier) on the bigger Matador/Polara.
On the 1961 models, the fins are more similar, but the quickest way to tell a Polara from a Dart is the Polara has an extra taillight stuck in between the fin and the crease below it, and has a resemblance to an ingrown toenail. The Darts just have the little taillights in back, just above the bumper. The Dart is also shorter than the Polara, but that's not always obvious, unless you see the two side-by-side.
I agree, they were nothing special-either esthetically or technically, but Kaiser does have a place in the history of American automobiles.
Are parts hard to find for K-F cars today?
I'd like to hear from some aficionados here!
They might not have been much technically, but as far as style, I think they were pretty modern in many ways. The 1947 models were conservatively styled, to be sure, but they had smooth sides with integrated rear fenders, something some of the Big Three models wouldn't get around to until 1955!
And that Vagabond model they had was pretty cool...sort of a pre-historic crossover! I know other manufacturers tried similar things, so I can't remember now if K-F was the first.
Those 1951 models seemed pretty radical for the time, as well. And I always thought those rattan interiors were cool.
A few models are popular outside of the tiny Kaiser "cult", such as the Virginian and the Dragon, but here again, their value does not justify their restoration.
One exception is the Kaiser-Darrin sports car, which can pull serious money ($50K + ??) and which is, in my opinion, the only really "collectible" Kaiser that is actively sought after.
Oh, and that reminds me of another place those things tend to pop up...the October car show and swap meet at Hershey PA. It just popped into my mind, because I saw a Darrin convertible there this past fall I think. Or if not then, one of the other years. They all start running together after awhile!
Spotted tonight: a very nice burgandy Merkur Scorpio, a '68 or '69 Chevrolet short-bed, stepside 4x4, in not the greatest shape, but how many exist now? Last, in one of the neighborhood's many, many, many BHPH dealerships (this one has a showroom, and this was inside), a '73 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, as far as I could tell, by peeking in the window, in fantastic condition, with the period-cool Saturn Bronze Firemist Poly (aka rust-metallic) and off-white leather interior and vinyl top. Marked $4900 on the windshield, which I thought quite reasonable (especially considering the silly $15k that one green SDV fetched on eFool). Obvious points: probably not the car for a currently fiscally-challenged person, and 1973 was not a good year for any vehicle sold in the U.S. (awful gas mileage, especially on this one, but also newly smog-choked). And those damn bumpers showed up. Plus, it would only fit in our 'normal' two-car garage sideways, if at all :surprise: