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

fintail

Ah yes, that's the "Gazelle", the most common Ford-based design IIRC. I've seen it called everything from an SSK to a 540K. Some of the kit cars were better proportioned than others, that one is wrong in every respect.

euphonium

I think I would have a 'bad guy' plane, maybe a Zero or a Stuka

Shifty's P 51 would shoot you down and rightfully so.

fintail

I think my [non-permissible content removed] jet with modern bones might be able to outpace him :P

Mr_Shiftright

I'd just outmaneuver you until you quickly ran out of fuel with your obsolete engine technology....in a dive the P-51 can be as fast as an old jet and I can turn tighter. Chuck Yeager shot down a German jet in his Mustang, and, not to brag or anything, but I'm a far better pilot than he was. :P

fintail

All it takes is one lucky shot

fintail

Thinking about fakey old cars, especially MB...Dave of Davidsfarm fame built a fake 540K back in the early 80s that isn't proportioned too terribly. The details and size are horribly wrong of course, but it's better than a Gazelle or some of the other SSK style fakes anyway. Some of the neoclassic era Duesie and Packard fakes are pretty bad, and who doesn't love a Zimmer or a Tiffany?

But for a good one, I present the Isdera IK116i, with 2 MB V8s - one at front and one at rear, and VW doors:

Mr_Shiftright

I'd certainly pay good money for the chance to smash it with a hammer. :shades:

boomchek

Saw three 64/65 Mustang coupes over the last 3 days, all in light blue color, all looked to be 6 cylinder models, in fairly decent looking condition. And yes, it wasn't the same Mustang I saw 3 times. I guess our long weekend and nice weather is starting to bring out some old cars.

fintail

I dunno...twin V8s? I wanna drive that thing, it's insane. At least its somewhat in the spirit of period excess.

Spotted an E28 M5 - I am sure it is real, I know there is one around here and I see it now and then. I remember I wanted one of those when I was a kid, I had the Pirelli poster.

Mr_Shiftright

It's probably a Death Trap.

imidazol97

I saw three Corvettes today.

oregonboy

So how could it be a death trap? It's got VW Beetle doors.... it probably even floats. Oh wait.... twin V-8s. Never mind.

iwant12

I remember once coming upon a trio of Vettes in a flatbed while traversing Tenn, late 60s models, IIRC. I remember my heart skipping a beat or two as my eyes drank them in!

fintail

Nice. I don't know if I would want my car sitting with no top on the end of a transporter though :surprise:

ghulet

Oh wow, something's happening in my pants looking at those three. Sorry.

ghulet

speaking of same, I pretty much chased down an E28 535is last night, literally...I saw it and went way out of the way from my home to talk to the driver and it had the same color combo as my 528e: Delphin with burgandy interior; then found out it was an '88, as is mine. Neat car, in better shape (I think; it was late at night and couldn't 'check it out'), and with aftermarket lacy alloys. But I forgot to ask the driver/owner if it was a stick or automatic. Duh.

imidazol97

I wondered what the value of those three Vettes is...

The first two are the years that I like--Route 66 material.

Mr_Shiftright

Depends a *whole lot* on what engines are in them and if those engines are supposed to be in them.

imidazol97

So it could be a LOT and it could be somewhat a lot of money.

texases

I just don't think it would be a LOT of money, otherwise they'd be inside a trailer...

fintail

Didn't that show start out with a 61 or 62 model? I remember it was in reruns on Nick at Nite when I was a kid.

fintail

Ha, so you are really into that car...nice. I see a 528e around here now and then, they seem to have held up well in the mild climate.

I've never followed anyone in an old car...but I've had it happen to me in the fintail.

imidazol97

Initial Corvette:



What year is this?

Mr_Shiftright

Actually if an old Corvette has a body in bad shape and say a totally incorrect small block, it could go for a lot less than you think. Legit big blocks easily double the value of the entire car.

I would expect that any 60s Vette on an open trailer is not a particularly precious model. These could be $25K-$30K-ish cars.

fintail

I think that's a 60, looks like it has wide whites

imidazol97

I've tried to find pictures to distinguish years but there don't seem to be as obvious a difference from year-to-year as I need.

I like the ones which have the round taillights--a la 61 or 62.

fintail

I looked it up...61 and 62 had a different grille, and that "duck tail" rear end as you mention. 1960 must have been the first season.

kyfdx

In pristine condition... under it's own power...

Mr_Shiftright

It has a sturdy tried and true BMC engine---the Met's problem is stopping and steering. Cute!

andys120

Yep, '60 was the first year of Route 66 and the show debuted in the fall along with the 1960 model Corvettes.

Todd's original 'Vette had a distinct variation from stock, can you spot it?>



I was told by the owner of a '60 that they are nearly impossible to tell from '59s.
He said you'd need to know which colors were offered in a given year.

Mr_Shiftright

The silly wire wheels?

andys120

Yup, those are no doubt Kelsey-Hayes wire which were optional or aftermaths installed. on a number of late 50' & early 60s cars (T-birds, Caddies, Chrysler Letter cars etc.)

Mr_Shiftright

Hardly something you want on a high-HP car. They really do pimp out a Corvette, that's for sure. I think they are aftermaths. I see nothing on the option list for that year to suggest that anyone would do this to a poor Corvette.

andre1969

Are those Corvette wheels real wire wheels, though? I've seen those Kelsey-Hayes spokes before...they were pretty common on earlier 50's DeSotos and Chryslers, and would occasionally pop up on a nicer Dodge or Plymouth. But they seemed to have more depth to them. The wire hubcaps that were on my grandmother's '85 LeSabre actually looked more tastefully done than those things that are on the Corvette!

Unless that shot of the Corvette was at a bad angle, making the wheels look worse than they really are?

Mr_Shiftright

Wire wheels on most modern cars just look bad, IMO. The problem is that a) the modern wheels are too small and b) unless you can see through the wires the entire point of wire wheels (to lighten the car's profile, to lessen unsprung weight, to create a sense of openness) is lost.

On a small low British or Italian sportscar from the 60s, yeah they can work (but please don't chrome them--PLEASE!), and certainly on 18" wheels on classic cars, sure.....but on the broadside of a Buick or Cadillac, they just look pimpy IMO---a wannabe attempt that falls flat. Bring out the landau bars, opera windows, brocade, paste-on door initials, and vinyl roof while you're up.

At least if they are only hubcabs, this is easily correctable with a screwdriver.

ghulet

I think the main 'differences' between '61s and '62s: the latter had the 327, and also were not available with the two-tone paint (contrasting 'cove') any longer.

andys120

I agree with every word of your post Shifty. Curiously however wires were used on some racing versions of sports cars right into the middle 60s.

Bob Bondurant tells the story in his bio of testing an early version of the 7 liter Ford GT40 Mk.II and nearly ripping apart the wire wheels it came to Shelby American on.

Subsequent racing versions of the GT40 (II and IV) came with big Halibrand magnesium-steel alloy wheels but curiously the street version, the Mk.III came on Borrani wires. :confuse:

It's a bit of a mystery why the Route 66 car had those K-H wires since the car was supplied by GM and I don't think they were ever a factory option..

ghulet

Route 66 is still shown on one of Chicago's 'oldies' stations (at like 3 a.m.) and yeah, that first-year (for the show) Vette with the wire wheels is strange. I don't think Chevy offered any optional wheels back then. You got plain old steelies, with or without hubcaps, period.

Mr_Shiftright

I think there was a wheel WIDTH option.

stickguy

but humorous.

at shop rite, a 2000ish Buick century. White, with a wide red and side skinny black racing stripe. Hood, trunk, bumpers. the works. And the wide part was a good 10".

And, dubs of some kind with little rubber band tires. Big, ugly solid disk wheels.

But, only 3 of them. The RF was the standard Buick hubby and high profile tire.

It was as silly looking as it sounds. And I can't imagine how scary it must have been to frive.

imidazol97

Flickr photo shared with label that it's the original Route 66 Vette.

Wikipedia says that original was a light blue and the next two were tan colors. The blue didn't work well for photography in black and white. Also weren't the Vettes all convertibles?

TV.\\http://farm1.static.flickr.com/48/115887260_a70b073d46.jpg

lemko

Certain blues will appear to be white in black and white photography while certain reds will appear to be black.

imidazol97

"George Maharis reported in a 1986 Nick at Nite interview that people often ask him about "the red Corvette." According to Maharis, the Corvette was never red. It was light blue the first season, and fawn beige for the second and third seasons. Both colors were chosen to photograph well in black and white, but the show's cinematographer complained that the powder blue car reflected too much light. The Corvette was replaced with a newer model annually by the series' sponsor, General Motors, but the show itself never mentioned or explained this technicality."

Wikipedia.

The car was never red. Yet the poster of the picture in Flickr passes the red Vette off as one of the original Vettes.

Mr_Shiftright

See also:

"I have (insert here) Elvis's Cadillac, Al Capone's Packard, and.....

LEST WE FORGET THE MOST FAMOUS CELEBRITY CAR OF ALL

fintail

Looking out my office window onto a miserably wet I90 this morning, I spotted a gigantic fuselage Chrysler speeding through the boring drab traffic, like a predator fish swimming around guppies and goldfish.

andys120

Flickr photo shared with label that it's the original Route 66 Vette.

Thje "original" R66 Vette was a 1960 model as shown in prior posts,
the Red Coupe shown is a '64 Coupe. All the Corvettes used in the show were convertible models
including the Sting Rays used in the last 2 seasons.>



The last new episode aired March '64.

boomchek

I like that episode!

andre1969

spotted next door to a dirty video store in Glen Burnie, MD. It was sitting kind of high, so I'd guess no engine, and weeds were growing up around it, and it was missing the bumper. Primer gray, which I'm sure is hiding a lot of bondo, and a ratty top.

fintail

Saw a dark maroon 65 Impala SS convertible this evening, tan top, unrestored but very clean looking, sitting kind of high for some reason. Couldn't make out what the engine badge said.

fintail

Alternative fuel

Wow...what happened

Elegance and class

I don't know what "museum" would display this, even with its admirable preservation

"Sleeper"

The 80s

Probably criminal in France

Sylvester didn't take care of his car

Sad way to fade out

Andre/lemko/ghulet-mobile

Big green

Period colors

Subcompact

I still can't believe I saw one of these on the road in Switzerland

Someone didn't want to drive this...I wonder why...