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

andre1969

I'd heard of "Highway Patrol", but never seen it. However, after watching "Smokey and the Bandit" for over 30 years, I finally "got" one of the lines. There's a part where a local cop stops Buford for trying to pass an accident scene on the grass, and Sheriff Justice says "How do, Officer, my name's--" and the local yokel cuts him off with "I don't care if your name's Broderick Crawford!"

I either never understood that line, or just didn't pay attention to it, but when I put the dvd in about a month ago and watched it, suddenly I got the reference.

andre1969

I think someone's trying to umm..."Graduate". Oh, wait, I think that was an Alfa and not a Fiat though. :P

ghulet

....I just sent a nice-as-possible-but-you're-a-moron-and-do-some-research note to someone on eBay who was claiming that 'someone told him' only about 200 Impala four-door hardtops were built in 1965 (his had a BIN of $18k--it was VERY nice, but not loaded, 327/powerglide, lots of mechanical mods, had probably $3k in the rims, nothing super-special; those just don't get that money, but I didn't even bring up that part).
For the record, rounded off, '65 Impalas (alone, not including other full-sized models, and not including wagons) sold to the tune of 803,400 units. They sold more than 70k convertibles that year, fercryinoutloud.

hpmctorque

Most '55 Buick Century 2-doors were hardtops, of course. I can't remember ever seeing a 2-door sedan. Did they make any 4-door century sedans in '55, or were they all hardtops? I would guess the latter, but I'm not certain.

andre1969

Did they make any 4-door century sedans in '55, or were they all hardtops? I would guess the latter, but I'm not certain.

I'm almost positive they did, as I'm sure the Century was a full model lineup by that time. But, searching online, I'll be darned if I can find a pic of a Century 4-door pillared sedan. The 4-door hardtop came out in mid-year 1955, and was kind of hastily thrown together, so I'm sure they would have wanted to start off 1955 with at least some kind of 4-door representation.

I've seen plenty of Special 2-door sedans, but don't recall ever seeing a Century. And if they only made a couple hundred, that would explain it! Around 1955, 2-door sedans started disappearing from most of the middle-priced brands. Chrysler and DeSoto dropped them completely after 1954, and I think Buick, Olds, and Mercury were starting to limit them to the cheaper models.

**Edit: Finally found a '55 Century 4-door sedan. However, it's an illustration from the sales brochure. I had forgotten that the sedans still had that skirted look at the rear wheels, since it's mostly the hardtops and convertibles you see these days. And, in '56-57, they all went to fully-exposed rear wheels.

andys120

Here's a good side shot from Highway Patrol.

Clearly the cars used were two-door Centuries, not hardtops.

ghulet

cool shot, thanks andys120. I couldn't help thinking as I watched that show, who has two-door police cars? And why Buicks (though the Century was the smaller body with bigger engine variety, IIRC, so likely were pretty fast)? Still....I guess that's TV. The cops on 'Naked City' always had four-door hardtop Pontiacs, that certainly was fictional.

ghulet

today, I took a quick little trip to the CVS (I shoulda walked, but have been doing a lot of that lately, so I didn't).

Saw a first-generation Honda Civic wagon, parked sideways in someone's two-car garage, and not in bad condition. Also, a super-flashy white 850i convertible, with the requisite, big, gaudy, chrome rims. Odd seeing a $100k+ car in a neighborhood where half the houses don't cost that much (our neighborhood is kinda marginal, and was thus hit super-hard by the real estate bust).

Incidentally, I made this trip in the roommate's '01 Jeep Wrangler (which is going in for a new clutch today, at almost 90k). I have a pet peeve about messy interiors, and his is, well, disgusting. Half-full pop bottles, old receipts, crumpled up this and thats, pens stuck on the dashboard, windshield you can barely see out of at night. Not that I'm a neat freak (our house will attest to that), but I'm starting to know who the slob is....the interiors of my cars are always immaculate. It's not so hard to take your McDonald's bag and throw it out once you leave the car, eh?

andys120

I was and am a big fan of Naked City as well as early 60s Ponchos. I noticed that the detectives were always driving hardtops which was unlikely but I did see a four-poster Catalina marked car in an episode I saw recently thanks to Netflix. The TV show used to make deals to feature specific makes in exchange for free cars.

I'm pretty sure that was the case for most shows back then. I'm sure Pontiac figured those H/Ts would look a lot snappier than the B-pillar cars and they did account for the majority of civilian sales (including our '64 Catalina 4dr.).

If you keep your eyes open while watching Naked City you'll pick up all sorts of interesting cars. One episode featured a 300SL roadster, another a Rolls Phantom V. I also get a big kick of being rennded how gritty and scruffy New York was in the early 1960s.

fintail

I would feel comfortable eating off the floor of either of my cars at almost any time. I can't stand a dirty car inside or outside.

Regarding the 850...on its second owner at least by now, I'd wager, now owned by someone who probably has a $1200 car payment and pays $500/month for shared living accomodations. The people who buy them new are seldom the ones to put the pimpy tack-ons on them, unless they are [non-permissible content removed] trust fund types. At least around here.

texases

Funny, I happened to see an 850i today, too - red, sagging at the rear...either he had an anvil in the trunk or the rear suspension was in need of work...and I bet you can pick them up these days for, what, $20k?

I did wonder about the modest house that (years ago) had a brand new one in the driveway, right when they came out. Must have been a single guy.

fintail

Oops...I think ghulet made a typo and threw us off. I am pretty sure he meant 650 convertible (as I have no memory of an old 8 series cabrio).

I know new style (big butt) 6er coupes can be had for around 30K now or maybe less, and old 8 series coupes can be had for 10K.

ghulet

boomchek

Well there were a few of the 850i aftermarket chop tops done out there, but they're very very rare. I'd say maybe a handful exist out there?

imidazol97

1961 Buick. I see this car around the area being used as a regularly driven car.

http://i86..com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC07035.jpg

And a package. It's a two door hardtop. Aren't most of these four doors?

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC07037-1.jpg

imidazol97

1961 Buick. I see this car around the area being used as a regularly driven car.

http://i86..com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC07035.jpg

And a Packard.. It's a two door hardtop. Aren't most of these four doors?

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC07037-1.jpg

fintail

It looks like there were a few, yeah...it actually looks pretty good.

Although the top-down attention to detail is lacking



Koenig, no surprise there



Almost 20 years old, not bad.

andys120

Those 8 series convertibles were most likely converted from Hardtops. I don't recall BMW turning out any cabs. I'll be those suckers are...flex-i-ble.

Mr_Shiftright

It doesn't flatter the car. World's fastest bar of soap?

fintail

Yeah, from what I read quickly only one was a factory show car, the rest aftermarket. I'd be skeptical of the structural integrity of a non-homeland conversion anyway.

andre1969

I couldn't help thinking as I watched that show, who has two-door police cars?

In the real old days, I think 2-door police cars were actually pretty common. I don't think anybody thought to create a purpose-built police car until the 1950's. At least, Chrysler's first police package was a 1956 Dodge Coronet with a Hemi. So before that, I think police departments would buy whatever they could, slap their own paint and lights on it, and make do with it. And usually they'd go as cheap as possible...often meaning a 2-door sedan instead of a 4-door sedan. I imagine some of those early cars used as police cars were bought used, too, that way you could get a bigger engine and more performance on the cheap.

When I was a kid, I had a CB McHaul playset...it was no doubt inspired by "Smokey and the Bandit", "Convoy", and even maybe a bit by "Duel"....


Even as a kid though, I thought it a bit odd that the police car was a 1955 Chevy hardtop coupe! And I don't remember the Village People action figures being sold with it. I do remember on the black oil tanker, if you pressed down on the smokestack conveniently placed on the hood, the grille would pop out like a battering ram. And I can't remember if the police car was designed to break in half, or if I broke it in half...one of the two, though!

boomchek

The 8 series is in imo one of the best looking cars ever made. Not THE best, but one of the best, to me at least.

Mr_Shiftright

You are in a very special minority, at least from the group that voted with their checkbooks---not necessarily the same who might vote emotionally.

VLCs (Very Large Coupes) are a hard sell.

fintail

It's a pretty car for sure...but I'd rather have the right C126 if I had my choice.

Obscure cars today: E28 M5 (!), Suzuki Esteem wagon, metallic bronze Aztek, early "formal" Ciera coupe.

andre1969

You are in a very special minority, at least from the group that voted with their checkbooks---not necessarily the same who might vote emotionally.

I think they're good looking cars too but yeah, I don't think I'd ever want to buy one. Aren't they one of those types of cars that can bankrupt you if you get a troublesome one?

What did they MSRP for originally? Only factoid I can find is that, adjusted for inflation, they'd be around $110,000 today, and that while the 8-series came in around the time the 6-series went out, the 8- was in a much higher price class. I found some other quote that said the car was produced from 1989-1999, and sold 30,621 world-wide. So I guess it wasn't too much of a loser.

What would've replaced the 8-series? There's a lady at work who used to have some high-priced BMW roadster... a Z8 I think, it was called? Would that have been considered the 8's replacement?

andys120

What would've replaced the 8-series?

I don't think you can consider the Z8 a replacement for the eight series, it was more an attempt to offer a modern-day 507 but like the 8 it was too expensive for what it was. The Eighters were unsuccessful attempts to move Six-Series buyers upscale to a larger more powerful vehicle. As such they have no analogue in today's lineup..

kyfdx

The 8-series replaced the 6-series....

The replacement for the 8-series is again known as the 6-series...

The Z8 roadster was just a one-off super-roadster, based on the Z3..

explorerx4

very large lincoln coupes?

1946

1975

1977

1978

1982

1990

1994

wevk

Spotted one like this motoring in Downtown Houston last night:

http://www.automobilesreview.com/uploads/2008/10/1972-alfa-romeo-giulia-super-sa- loon-1600.jpg

Mr_Shiftright

I'd love to have a car like that.

fintail

Not many oddities out on this beautiful day....saw an ancient looking Saab 99, a couple of BMW shark 6ers, Alfa Milano, early Ford Bronco, rat-rodded 56 Ford 2-door sedan, mint looking 240Z...that was it.

I had my old car out today, ran as nicely as ever although the warm weather seems to encourage me to adjust the idle speed. Had a couple of people come up and ask me about the car too...the vertical speedometer really attracts attention, and one kid/guy was shocked to see a MB with no AC and no power accessories.

fintail

Saw a few more this evening...a W113 with some kind of aftermarket exhaust - very raspy and sporty, not in keeping with the car's overall looks. It was brown, so probably a later car like a 280SL. Also saw 2 Murcielagos, and a white F430.

tjc78

very large lincoln coupes?

I love these old beasts. The 75 is sweet and most likely is a 460. The Marks are OK the 78 is a Cartier, I do not like that style wheel on the 77. Turbines are a much better choice. The 82 Mark VI was never a favorite of mine. The Mark VI and Town Cars were so similar they almost seemed redundant. Except for the front and rear they were basically the same car.

The 94 with 200K "highway" miles is just asking for trouble.

andre1969

Of that crop, I think I like the '75 the best, followed by the '78. I think I like the 1976 and earlier versions of those loveboats better than the '77-79...I just prefer the wider, lower grille to the more upright, pretentious, neoclassic grille of the '77-79. I think that look worked on the Mark V, but not so much on the regular sedans and coupes.

Mr_Shiftright

I can't believe, in retrospect, that people actually drove these things every day. Was this a wider, roomier world in the 1970s? Apparently so. In 2010, this would be the equivalent of driving a city bus around. Could you park? Could you fit through a toll gate? Could you make a high speed maneuver on a California freeway?

fintail

So far today - orange 914, late W140 S600, black Reatta with a lot of lost paint, BMW "shoe" M coupe.

andys120

In 2010, this would be the equivalent of driving a city bus around. Could you park? Could you fit through a toll gate? Could you make a high speed maneuver on a California freeway?

I'm no fan of big automobiles but none of those land yachts were any bigger than those extended-cab, long-bed pickups that are now still very popular despite rising gas prices.

Mr_Shiftright

True but they are far less competent.

tjc78

In 2010, this would be the equivalent of driving a city bus around

I drove my 79 Town Coupe as a beater until 2002. I never found it to be a chore, actually I think I drove that car more than my 2000 Solara or 89 Town Car. I will say gas was much cheaper then...at 12 MPG on a good day I don't think I would drive it as much.

tjc78

I think I like the 1976 and earlier versions of those loveboats better than the '77-79...I just prefer the wider, lower grille to the more upright, pretentious, neoclassic grille of the '77-79

Its funny you mention that. I always preferred the later upright versions, however I now see myself liking the earlier ones everybit as much. I do prefer the later dashes though.... plus you could get a digital tuning quad sound 8 track!

andre1969

True but they are far less competent.

In many ways, those old 70's cars were more maneuverable and manageable than the big trucks of today, though. For one thing, visibility was much better. True, you had the thick, formal C-pillars, but usually you could see all four corners of the car, and had thin A-pillars, and either thin B-pillars, or none at all if it was a hardtop.

And a lot of length in those cars was in the hood, so you had the bulk of your car always in view, ahead of you. With a pickup, SUV, etc, most of your bulk is behind you.

About the biggest domestic cars got in the 1970's was maybe 233", on a 130" or so wheelbase, and less than 80" wide. In fact, if you go more than 80" wide, I think in some states you get registered as a medium-duty truck! Nowadays though, just get a regular-cab, 8' bed truck (what used to be the "standard" pickup truck but now is a bit of a rarity), and you're looking at around 230". Ford's shortest crew cab pickup is 231.7" long. And a lot of those pickups really aren't that comfortable, either. The seats tend to be thin and unsupportive, and the back seats tend to be flat and low, with a backrest that's too upright. Honestly, my buddy's '78 Mark V is probably a better 6-passenger hauler than your typical crew cab pickup of today. Well, make that 5-passenger, since it has bucket seats and a console. :P

And still, AndyS's point is valid...if you can drive a standard-sized pickup around the streets today, you wouldn't have a problem with one of those old 70's mastodons.

I gotta admit though, the other day I hit my chin on the upper part of the vent window when getting into my '67 Catalina...but that's a 60's mastodon, not a 70's!

andre1969

YES! I definitely like the later dashboards! The later dash seemed a bit more modern, and IIRC swept away a bit better, so it seemed like you had more room down in the footwell underneath.

I saw a beautiful teal '77-ish Lincoln sedan this past weekend at a local car show. Had a matching crushed velour interior. I'll post the pics of it and the other cars as soon as I get 'em off the camera and uploaded.

lemko

My 1975 Cadillac Sedan DeVille was 230" long on a 130" wheelbase. That year's Fleetwood Brougham was 233" long. I believe the Fleetwood 75 was a massive 257" long. In contrast, the Buick Electra was 227" long on a 127" wheelbase.

My diminutive 1989 Cadillac Brougham is a mere 221" long on a 121" wheelbase.

My 2007 Cadillac DTS Performance is a petite 207.6" long on a tiny 115.6" wheelbase.

Mr_Shiftright

No way. A modern pickup will run rings around a 70s Lincoln and completely humiliate it in braking, acceleration and skid pad and slalom.

I'll take that bet!!

In my work, I drive these old cars now and then, and they are pretty frightening, by my standards. Sure, putter around town at 35 MPH, no big deal. But god help you if you do anything sudden and the car is not going in a straight line.

andre1969

No way. A modern pickup will run rings around a 70s Lincoln and completely humiliate it in braking, acceleration and skid pad and slalom.

Out on a test course, sure. But in real-life, day-to-day traffic, the modern pickup is just going to be more bulky and cumbersome, harder to park, wider turning circle, worse blind spots, etc.

n my work, I drive these old cars now and then, and they are pretty frightening, by my standards.

That's because you only drive them now and then, and you're more accustomed to nimbler, smaller cars. If you drove them on a more regular basis, you'd probably be more "in tune" with the way they handle, and they wouldn't seem as scary. In a similar vein, put someone like me behind the wheel of a small car, and it's going to feel nervous and jittery to me.

And I imagine a modern pickup or SUV would be much easier to flip than one of those old 70's cruisers. At least, I don't remember CR telling people not to buy a '75 Lincoln for fear of rolling it! :P

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, but.....wouldn't it make you sick to go bouncy bouncy all day long, then make a fast turn and have your body mashed into the door panel as the front end plows in severe understeer, as you try to work those hair-trigger brakes and phone-dial the pinky-steering?

If your argument is that a skillful driver can learn to anticipate all the bad things the car is going to do, then I'd agree with you there.

You don't "go down the road"in a 70s Lincoln---you HURTLE. :P

fintail

Especially with the way so many trucks are around here - lifted, on ridiculous wheels and tires. Those vehicles and large SUVs both seem to attract a demographic who is less than skilled at general driving, and more likely to contract cases of road rage or reckless driving. I'd drive a 78 Lincoln rather than a lifted diesel dually over-compensation mobile any day.

tjc78

Yeah, but.....wouldn't it make you sick to go bouncy bouncy all day long, then make a fast turn and have your body mashed into the door panel as the front end plows in severe understeer, as you try to work those hair-trigger brakes and phone-dial the pinky-steering?

You make it sound like those are bad things.... :P

tjc78

I saw a beautiful teal '77-ish Lincoln sedan this past weekend at a local car show

Yes, would like to see the pics of that. My 79 was a pale blue (can't remember exact color name) with most likely the same color interior of the one you saw.

Mr_Shiftright

One time a few years ago I had to pick up a '76 Eldorado in Lake Tahoe and take it to San Francisco. For years afterwards, I had to join an Eldorado Survivors Therapy Group. I was traumatized.

I could very easily jump from the 60s driving experience to the 80s driving experience and not miss a thing.