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

explorerx4

you could always be a car related narc

oregonboy

scam

fintail

You do know that Operation Repo is staged, right? :P

Keep an eye on some of the more normal cars...obvious rentals.

fintail

Yeah, and none of it comes close to criminals like China.

I remember seeing small appliances in hotels that were actually made in France, Germany, or Netherlands. It seems NA is the key dumping ground for the other material.

andre1969

I'd get one of those cool Russian pseudo-Packards!

I think those Russian cars are neat, too. Considering what a hodge-podge of '50's styling cliches they mix together, somehow it all manages to work!

imidazol97

>Next on will be a doctor having his Cayenne repo'd, apparently.

Next on will be one of the Millionaire Real Estate salespeople from the Bravo show that was on months ago. They drove the premium image cars.

imidazol97

>Operation Repo is staged, right?
>Keep an eye on some of the more normal cars...obvious rentals.

No. Say it's not true. Staged? :P

REally obnoxious people on that show--the repo people, not the "victims."

Only ones worse are the Bounty Hunter types who consider themselves police but they don't have to follow any laws.

At least we don't have to watch the Dog guy and his clan.

imidazol97

I never saw the Blue Oval Ford emblem show up on the Volvo through these many years of Ford ownership.

Would having the Ford ownership revealed to the public have changed their image of the Volvo past reputation? Would they have kept buying? I know some knew Ford owned it, but I believe most didn't. Just like many didn't know Ford owned Jaguar.

fintail

Ford was pretty hands-off with Volvo and Jag, it did not outsource design or production. Ford was a very good steward for both firms. The only way the respective new owners will find success is to do the same.

fintail

Of course they are annoying, they are actors. Think about it...being a repo man can't be that exciting all the time. I actually thought it was real the first time I saw it...but then I noticed the same car (I think a Malibu or G6 or something) was in another episode. Some of the stories on that show are just too out there...but it can be a laugh. That roid-rage bouncer type guy is the one who gets on my nerves, the rest of them I can handle.

lemko

This is what I'm talking about!



This one looks like a cross between a 1961 Cadillac and a 1955 Imperial:

lemko

Ah, it's good mindless fun. Of course it's staged. Even the disclaimer at the beginning of the show states "The events portrayed are based-on actual events..."
I liked that show "King of Cars." It was more mindless fun. There's a Chrysler dealer on Roosevelt Blvd. in NE Philly that's a lot like that show.

andre1969

I like the first one you pictured, which is the one I had in mind. I forgot about that '61 Cadillac-looking thing. I don't like it as much. I just think the Packard-inspired one pulls off its styling cliches better than that second one, which just seems a bad blend of 50's and 60's, in an awkwardly-proportioned package.

Mr_Shiftright

I don't see how a Jaguar owner could *help* but notice that Ford owned Jaguar, since, suddenly, their cars actually started to function day by day :P

You have to pour down a long list to find cars as bad as 1980s Jaguars. Oh sure, a Jag enthusiast constantly donning surgical gear could keep them running quite well, but the average American was sent to slaughter.

Ford certainly did Jaguar a good turn.

Mr_Shiftright

http://stupidlookingcars.freecarblogs.com/

Some of these cars are so stupid as to be wonderful in their own way. :shades:

tbone_rare

I was just talking to my son yesterday about a vehicle I remember seeing in the early '60's. I haven't seen one since and he thought I was just messin with him and the vehicle never existed. This was a smaller vehicle in the days where most cars were land yachts. It also had the ability to float on the water. It even had propellers coming out the end around the back bumper. Am I crazy??? Was I on crack in the early 60's when I wa 8 years old??? LOLOL Can anyone help me out on this?? What the hell was that thing????

fintail

I am pretty sure you are remembering This thing

fintail

Very nice, I like the Euro representation there...nice to see that NA isn't the only wasteland of taste

andys120

I used to be in a small marine salvage business with my buddy and we saw those Amphicars chugging around Manhasset Bay, New York from time to time.

Even then they had acquired a rep for being "lousy boats and worse cars."

ghulet

Lordy, where to start?

Actually, most don't need comment, they speak for themselves, quite loudly. Another group of fine examples of the combination of too much money+too much spare time+really bad taste+some undiagnosed or at least unchecked form of egomania, I suspect.

ghulet

those Aphicars were built somewhere between, what, 1958-64ish? What a strange concept, would have been a great idea if, perhaps, they were executed a little better.

Mr_Shiftright

1961 to 1968, with 3,878 being built.

Some were lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea, others struck icebergs with great loss of life. I think one just went aground on the Great Barrier Reef, spilling thousands of gallons of Shell 87 octane.

Definitely a streak of bad luck for that automaker.

ghulet

I guess I coulda got off my lazy fingers and looked up the production years and figures, Mr_S.

LOL @ your comments, though!!!

Mr_Shiftright

I saw one on a lake once in Nevada, but I've never seen one in the San Francisco or Monterey Bay. I don't think that even an Amphicar owner is *that* crazy.

tbone_rare

Thanks guys....I knew I wasn't COMPLETELY stupid!! LOLOL That's exactly the vehicle I remembered. Now I can show my son I'm not ready for the "home" yet!

euphonium

Now tell him about Moulton Taylor's Aerocar. (The flying automobile) The lack of having a pilot's license killed it from being mass produced in SW WA.

fintail

Seeing how the average lowest common denominator motorist can barely pilot his Camcord with any degree of skill, the thought of the masses having access to flying cars is downright terrifying

ghulet

uh, Fin, did you mean to say 'floating', rather than 'flying' (in either case, frightening prospects), though I think in the case of the Amphicar, y'know what I'm sayin'.

fintail

I was replying to euphonium's mention of the Aerocar:



A very scary prospect given a 4cyl 140hp vehicle is too much for so many on the road, and the numbers of incompetents grow yearly.

I have no problem with more of them driving into lakes :shades:

lemko

I guess we won't see families travelling in this manner any time soon:

fezo

I always had a soft spot in my heart (or more likely my head) for Amphicars. I remember as a kid seeing one driving on Pompton Lake. When I was in maybe my mid 20s there was a guy selling one locally and it was in nice shape and cheap. He actually talked me out of it saying if you need to depend on transportation even a little bit this car isn't for you.

Mr_Shiftright

Amphicars are worth serious bucks, more than most of the famous "muscle cars". You can get $60,000 for a very nicely restored one. For use on your private lake and all that good stuff.

A completely useless toy? Not exactly, but for even a mediocre one, $30K-$40K will get you more attention than ten Ferraris and a private jet.

dieselone

I saw a red Cadillac Alante on a flat bed trailer the other day. Don't know the year, but I believe it had the northstar in it. Don't see those much anymore.

Mr_Shiftright

Nobody cares anymore

If Cadillac had put the Northstar in from the get-go, and upgraded the interior and fixed all the leaks and rattles, they might have pulled it off.

Once again, typical GM---too little too late. A company that lost its MOJO by the late 1980s.

lemko

If it had the Northstar, it was the swan song 1993 model year.

dieselone

If Cadillac had put the Northstar in from the get-go, and upgraded the interior and fixed all the leaks and rattles, they might have pulled it off.

That can be said of many past GM products;)

Mr_Shiftright

It's pretty arrogant to think you're gonna knock off the Mercedes 560SL without breathing too hard.

Even if they HAD come out with the '93 Northstar version in 1991, Mercedes already had a new model fresh out of the box that obseleted the 560SL.

dieselone

Being FWD didn't help either. The XLR seemed to be a better effort but it still didn't put much of a dent in SL sales.

Mr_Shiftright

I went to see the XLR in the showrooms and after 10 minutes, said "no way".

andys120

If Cadillac had put the Northstar in from the get-go

Instead they put the Northstar in the De Ville which created all kinds of problems for the geriatrics who typically drive them. When my Pop told me his wasn't running right I told him to give it an "Italian Tune-up."

He told me that cleared up the problems.

dieselone

I went to see the XLR in the showrooms and after 10 minutes, said "no way".

I don't think you were alone!

boomchek

Saw an XLR on the highway yesterday. My wife though it was ugly, I didn't mind it.

I'm not too keen on the CTS-like interior

texases

Far as I can tell, the XLR went out of production last year ('09), with all of 787 '09 models sold. That must mean they will be collectors' items, right

Mr_Shiftright

Unloved new, unloved old.

fintail

Good luck finding another of these

Big blue

Needs more description of that claimed show provenance...nicely optioned anyway

Attempt at celebrity provenance

Smaller blue

Surprising bids

Huge blue

Been a long time since this fuel has been sold with this model

"Project"

"He" might drive one of these

Go topless

Let's try again

Same color as mine, but maybe not as clean

Cult following

Early model

Fairly insane

Sierra of a different type

Time warp...It'd bring this money in Europe no problem

Iffy alliance

Mr_Shiftright

Audi 90 --- an extremely bad choice for a restoration. Seller will remain hopelessly upside down until death (and perhaps beyond).

1950 Cad Coupe---now THAT'S a Cadillac!

1962 Cadillac Sedan ---show winner? Who cares? It's a 4 door, it's black and it's 1962 (strike three, you're out). Bidder enthusiasm non-existent.

Purchased by Elvis --- Oh, so now Elvis doesn't have to OWN something, he just has to pay for it to be worth more? Get out! :shades:

49 Fiat 1100S -- worth saving? I wonder. It's not the prettiest thing ever to come out of an Italian Bucket--Beaters shop. Good luck finding the right engine for THAT puppy. Geez, go find yourself an Lancia Appia and be happy.

82 Cadillac Diesel ---these bids HAVE to be shills. Nobody can be that stupid.

1982 Nissan Diesel -- I see that the "eBay Miles Per Gallon Enlarger" has been installed. Yeah, sure 42 miles per gallon----maybe if you're towing it.

Ariel Atom -- "Mommy, tell me again how Daddy died...."

63 Benz 190 Fintail ---- yes, it's STILL worth only $15,000, just like last time. Take the money or buy it a birthday cake for the next 20 years in a row.

1985 Benz 500SEL -- $14K bid? That's a home run in this country. Good score, seller!

Peugeot 504 Diesel --- actually this is a really good car. I used to own one. With a little sound proofing, this was a great highway cruiser---what a comfortable ride!

Unfortunately the "cult" that likes them is also a penny-pinching Church of Cheapskates. Good luck getting decent money for ANY Peugeot in America.

Beware the ZF transmission---if it goes out. car is totaled.

boomchek

Audi 90 - cool car, I wonder what his reserve is. I am thinking between $5k and $10k? Also is it that difficult to take a photo with the entire car in one shot?

77 Eldo - I betcha most bidders are Elvis fans pushing bidding about $10k over market value.

77 Seville - again is it that hard to take a photo with the entire car in one shot? Especially today with digital cameras, and on something you want to sell at a premium price?

$8k for an old 82 Maxima? I don't think so.

The Fiat 1100 - is it rare with historical significance? Crazy bidding!

77 Dodge - neat looking car. Anyone notice a question from a prospective buyer - And why isn't there any warranty or vehichile protection? LOL - He wants warranty on a 33 year old car costing $2k. Too funny.

Topless CRX is neat. Cool to have as a hobby car for summer weekends or Honbda shows. Looks really good for 173k miles!

I'd take the unrestored Fintail over the restored one. I think cars that are a bit beat up show some character moreso than museum pieces or trailer queens.

79 Peugeot - "we're not going to accept a low bid" but I did not see a reserve on there unless it was already met. Neat car too and in decent condition apart from that mismatched driver's door.

XR4Ti - too bad it's an automatic. The speedo on it looks too funny with digits only filling half of the face, the rest being red lines.

500SEL looks sharp!

Wow, a running Sterling with 240k miles. It's gotta be the only one in the country with those miles and running!

euphonium

The only thing it needed was Power Steering which wasn't available until '52.

The 4 door had the Buick Special body, Chevrolet interior, But Cad from the dash forward. With the 4 speed Hdramatic, it could be pushed started or coast downhill and then slip into Lo. Ours was light Green over dark Green metallic. Mexican hat wheel covers & WSW.

andre1969

1962 Cadillac Sedan ---show winner? Who cares? It's a 4 door, it's black and it's 1962 (strike three, you're out). Bidder enthusiasm non-existent.

I must have a knack for picking losers, as I find myself liking that '62 Caddy! I think it looks good in black, although if I were hunting one down I'd prefer one of the pale blues or greens they offered that year, with a coordinated fabric interior.

I just googled that phone number, and it comes up as "Annapolis Classic Cars" which, if it's really in Annapolis, would only be about a half hour away from me! And, if it's the place I'm thinking of, it's sitting on some pretty expensive real estate, so they're probably using that to justify the high prices.

BTW, what would be a reasonable price on that '62?

uplanderguy

Andre, don't know what would be a reasonable price on that '62, but I have a friend whose parents always had Caddys when he was growing up (he turns 60 this year) and the '62 is one he's looking for--and his parents didn't even have one! Another friend feels similarly, and so do I--the '63 and '64 seem to be a dime-a-dozen, but the '62 is just right...'less is more'!

Bill P.