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

fintail

Now that I am pondering it...I believe there was also a wood trim available on Nash c.1947, for closed cars. And of course, there were convertible wood trimmed cars from Ford and Chrysler, and I think it might have been an add on for Chevy like the closed car too.

ghulet

The only semi-interesting car I saw were a very nice Mercedes 280SE 4.5, in I believe it's called Orient Blue (kinda light, cornflowerish). No sunroof, I didn't check if it had a floor or column shifter, and now I can't remember if it had alloys or the body-colored hubcaps. Duh, guess my car spotting skills are wavering. It was in remarkably nice condition, especially considering it was sitting in the middle of January on Western Avenue (one of our largest, busiest north-south arteries) in Chicago. I also saw a fairly nice '72 Buick Riviera ('boattail').

fintail

That's not a bad thing to see...nice 108s are getting less common. That color was later called "China Blue" and may have been called that when the car you saw was made....I am not sure. Unusual color too.

ghulet

For a little while, I considered buying one as a daily driver, since in general they're pretty cheap (unless you want a 6.3 or something pristine). I don't have a garage, though, and I don't really have the income to keep up with a thirty-something car. I know the V8s are thirsty, the versions with air suspension are complex, the bodies tend to rust beyond repair in some climates. Still, I think they're beautiful and well-made. Then again, I love the 126 also, they're much newer, probably a bit more fuel-efficient and I would imagine a bit easier to take care of (or not, you tell me, fintail). I saw a nice, clean, black 560SEL last night and it made me want one all over again.

fintail

That's right...I think you can get a pretty nice 108 or 109 that isn't a 6.3 for maybe 6 grand at the most. They really can rust too, just like fintails...the whole underside, trunk and front end of the car can rust away, even in milder climates. I am on the west coast and have seen some painfully rusty fintails (fintails and 108s are sructurally very similar). I am a big nitpicker when it comes to rust, so this catches my eye. But other than that, they tend to be strong mechanically, both in 6 and 8 cylinder forms. You'll just find normal wear and tear on them...leaky steering boxes, worn front ends, etc. I would be leery of the air suspension, unless it has been rebuilt. A 108 really is a beautiful car, classic timeless design and very competent on the road even today, almost 40 years after introduction.

A 126 is much easier to live with, as it really is is a moden car...a post 1985 will have an airbag, ABS, memory seats, many modern things. Some earlier ones will even have all that too. These cars are what many people still first think of when they think of Mercedes, they really built an image, and were certainly the best all around large sedan of the 80s. They aren't without faults...the V8s are thirsty and need a lot of maintenance, they can rust too, especially around wheelarches and the rear end, and they have the ability to run a long time with poor maintenance before finally dying, so there are plenty of sick ones out there. But a well kept one shouldn't be too hard to live with. I got mine in 02 and have spent a total of $80 on repairs aside from normal servicing and upgrades that I wanted. That total will go up soon though, as I plan on replacing some front suspension components . Mine is the 6 cyl BTW...same engine as a 300E...the M103, the best all around Mercedes 6. It's not too fast for such a large car, but is very smooth and quiet, and delivers acceptable mileage. For less than the price of the lowest Rio, I won't complain.

bhill2

to fintail's message (2133). I have an '85 380SE. It has everything the fintail mentioned for the post '85s except the airbag. This V8 gets fairly good mileage. It won't compete with a Prius, of course, but it's good for 18-20 MPG, which isn't bad for a large sedan of that era. It's low-end grunt is a little soft, but once it's moving it's fairly impressive, and it will happily cruise at speeds that will pucker everything on you. It's also by far the best car I've ever owned, and now has 240,000 miles and going strong.

fintail

Yep. Your car is the last year that engine was made too, so it has any additional refinements (although I don't know what they are, other than I think it is always good to upgrade the timing chains in that model). The cars lack low end acceleration due to the famous MB 2nd gear start. You have to floor it to get it into 1st to get some real speed...but you sure can. And as you mention...it will cruise all day at speeds that would probably get you a ride to the local jail in most areas. I saw on one site someone referred to the 126 as one of the best *all around* cars the 20th century produced...and I think that is a valid claim

On the obscure list...well it is unusual nowadays anyway....I saw an immaculate c.1971 Lincoln Continental Sedan today, light creme yellow with a black top. A big old tank for sure, but it did have an air of dignity to it..something not seen today on most cars.

ghulet

My neighbors (when I was 3-4, so ~30 years ago) had a black Continental sedan I really liked. They were certainly in need of an update by 1970 when that body debuted, and now are certainly a lot more rare (and IMO more interesting) than the obiquitous '74-79 tanks. Still, I don't think I'd ever want 19 feet and 460 cubes of car in Chicago. The 126 Mercedes is about the largest car I could tolerate.

Fintail, I know first hand about the durability of the '80s 3.0, my mom STILL has an '88 300E as her daily driver w/~350k on the original, non-rebuilt engine and transmission. I don't know what kind of money she's put into it lately, but IIRC the silly electrical things (sunroof, seat & headrestmotors, the infamous Becker stereo replaced by a Sony 5+ years ago, the a/c several times) have failed more than anything debilitating. I do remember 'splaining to mom that if she wanted her car to move, she had to gun it from start because of the 2nd gear start (which IIRC was done to maintain reasonable fuel economy).

Still, as mom lives in semi-rural Indiana, the RWD and lack of traction control have stranded her at home a few times, which makes me encourage her to replace it (IMO, new Accord EX V6 would be nice for her; she's semi-retired and I don't think in the market for a ~$50k E320).

andre1969

there was a guy at one of the Carlisle, PA shows selling two late 70's Lincoln Continental sedans for $1500 for the pair. Both of 'em ran, and were driveable. One was a copper-ish '77 with a 460 and leather, and the other was a putty/platinum colored '78 or '79 with a 400 and velour. The '77 was actually in pretty decent shape, but the '79 had some body damage, and the interior was all matted down like a wet dog.

Still, pound for pound, and inch for inch, it was probably one of the best deals out there! Might be too much boat for even me though...and I live in the boonies!

fintail

I wouldn't want something so large either...but it was nice to see one that survived. I remember as a kid back in the 80s that such cars weren't too unusual...just unloved by almost all. I can appreciate them more now, myself. It's funny how things evolve.

That's not a bad mileage on that 300E, that's one of the higher mileage ones I have heard of, as most MB people simply don't drive the 20+K a year it takes to rack up huge miles. I have seen a 300SE with 375K on it that was still sound, but I believe it had a valve job at least. Mine is at 173K and it still smooth and quiet. I suspect I still have some time left on it...and all my electrics work too, although I had to replace a relay soon after I bought the car.

The people that owned by car originally now have a Toyota Avalon...so I guess there is some kind of progression. I think the old 126 was too much for them, although they did put 160K on it before they got rid of it. It's funny that in 88 that E class was probably just over 40 grand, and a new one is 50. That's not much over 16 years.

Here's a nice 126 for you, even in your city.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2448484057&category=6332

Mr_Shiftright

Wow...the seller made out like a bandit....$2,500 over top money, even with all the mileage and condition padding into the price. Hope all that storage didn't wipe out the seals throughout. I woulda bid $9K on it, it looked like a really nice car.

andre1969

is that, compared to Cadillac, they seem to have had a much better survival rate. While the Mark usually outsold the ElDorado, the standard Caddy DeVilles and Fleetwoods simply blew the Continental sedans away when it came to sales.

But fast forward to today, and it seems like well-preserved 70's Lincolns are all over the place! But when it comes to Caddy, unless it's an Eldorado convertible or a Talisman, the pickings are comparatively slim. And those that are out there are pretty ragged out.

I have a buddy who's in the market for a Mark V, although he started off wanting a Continental sedan because it's bigger. Although at 233" versus 230", I don't think it makes much difference!

But what gives here? Why do the Lincolns seem to have a better survival rate? I know GM learned how to roll their sheetmetal extremely thin in the 70's, but I'd imagine Ford did, as well. Chrysler didn't seem to, but then all their cars were unitized by then, so rust opened up a whole different can of worms on them! I wonder if the Lincolns just appealed to older, conservative people more, whereas the Cadillacs were bought by people who wanted what was the latest and trendiest, and once it was out of style, just traded for something newer? So then maybe they became used cars faster, and as a result, reached beater status quicker?

ajvdh

I saw two oddities within five minutes yesterday: the first was a new Chevy SSR. I know, I know, not really obscure, but it's the first one I've seen in the flesh. Darn big vehicle for such a small amount of passenger/cargo space.

The second was a beautifully restored (why?) Amphicar, just driving down the street. My goodness, those things sit up high. I love the description I'd heard: "For a car, they're a pretty lousy boat, and for a boat they're a pretty lousy car."

Mr_Shiftright

That's a good score for you, spotting an Amphicar that is actually running. Don't you like the way the propeller spins when it goes down the road?

Some nut actually drove one of these across the English Channel!

I eagerly await the first Atlantic crossing.

ateixeira

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid99/pfa8f55c5929b1ff8757c- d45741808c8d/f9f6227d.jpg

Very nice!

-juice

ghulet

My knowledge of pre-'50s cars is minimal, so all I can do is guess....is it a Buick?

Today, while in the south suburbs, all I saw were a pair of dead Checker Marathons in a driveway and a slightly battered Buick Reatta for sale in a yard off I-394.

fintail

Wow....if Shiftright would pay 9 grand for a 15 year old MB sedan...it must be good

I saw a Datsun 510 wagon today, been a while since I have seen one.

Maybe the old Lincolns were just sturdier...or as you mentioned, maybe ownership took better care of them. An old beater Caddy is a sad sight...and most seem to end up that way.

jlawrence01

I have a friend with an Amphicar. It is an interesting vehicle but one that does neither very well.

The Amphicar was purchased on EBay - the classic "oh the car is in great condition" and then after a cross country trip, my friend finds that to consider it in rough condition would be a stretch.

Mr_Shiftright

Can you even imagine the rust potential?

Well, I'm not sure I would pay $9K for an '89 MB SEL but it's a lot of car for the price of an Echo, that's for sure.

A friend of mine in L.A. has a car I bet many of you have never heard of.....an Echidna! Yep, it's a "real car" and it has won a lot of races, too.!

almostawake

Fiat Strada lately? On an American road/street, that is?

Those funky round door handles always creeped me out.

andys120

a restyled Fiat 128 IIRC. Like the 128s the long ago rusted from the scene. I thought the Strada was cool looking, if more French than Italian.

Haven't seen one in 15 or 16 years.

ateixeira

If my memory serves me.

-juice

ghulet

Oooooh, I remember when those were new. They were kinda cute at the time, but by then there were other, better econo cars around for less money (the Rabbit, for one). My parents had the misfortune (or idiocy) of purchasing a new Brava in 1980, a year before Fiat pulled out of the American market. It was a nice car when it was running, but the body panels were pretty tinny and prone to rust. Naturally, by the time the car was three or four years old, with no dealer network and parts already becoming scarce, it was falling apart. It was replaced by an '84 Camry.

parm

http://billee007.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/66devbroc1.JPG

There's a blue '66 Cadillac 4-door sedan in my town - similar to the one shown in the link above. It's not in particularly great shape and the owner parks it on the street. But, I'll go out of my way to drive by it just to look at the styling. As a matter of fact, I did this just the other day.

I'm currently considering buying a '66 Eldorado. I've not yet seen it in person (only in photos), but am planning to make the 5 1/2 drive to go check it out when the weather and my schedule permits.

It's a nice one. Seller wants $16K and he's pretty adamant about wanting that price. I've offered as high as $15K and he politely said no.

With kids approaching college age along with life's other necessities, I can't believe I'm actually giving considering to spending this much on what is essentially a toy that will be driven only sparingly.

andys120

keep us posted.

fintail

If that old 126 was well maintained, it's well worth even what it sold for. You'll be hard pressed to match it for the money, or really even come close.

I saw an 80s Maserati Quattroporte today. It was really mint looking, a dark red, perfect wheels. I went home to grab my camera, and when I returned, it was gone.

I remember up until several years ago there was a Fiat Brava wagon hanging around town. That has to be a rare one.

andys120

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/pic.mv?imagenum=1&num=1691

IMO it really looks hot. I've seen better photos in CAR

Has there ever been a cooler name for a sedan than Maserati Quattroporte?

fintail

Yep, I have seen it, and I like it too. Tons of cues from the original, which is a good thing. I have the January 04 issue of CAR with it too...not a bad issue btw, with that and the SLR. Great name, and finally a car worthy of the original namesake. The 80s and 90s models just weren't there. I think Maserati is in a fine rebirth, after a long period when it seems every car off the line was worse than the one before.

andys120

on both the Q-porte and the SLR.

jlawrence01

was attractive much like the Kia Rio is attractive - its selling price was about $1500 less than the domestics.

I looked at one and my brother said "you gotta be crazy." He was right.

Mr_Shiftright

Ah, had you only known then what a great opportunity you had...you could have bought a Strada, locked it in your garage, put it under a cover, and today you'd have a car worth an easy $75.

jrosasmc

Wow, a Strada would be worth a mere $75 today? Incredible...if one could have taken the $4000 needed to buy a Strada in 1979 and put it in the stock market, no wonder what it would be worth now.

fintail

I saw a really nice rustfree Strada sedan for sale about a year ago...an automatic even (so like twice the amount of things to go wrong I am sure) and they wanted like $950 for it. I was way too scared.

If you like the SLR, the upcoming SLK is going to feature many similar styling cues...for a lot less $, of course. I can't say I am sold on it yet...it has way too much of a 'beak' and weirdo headlights that really give it a bird look.

fintail

Here's something I saw yesterday that is kind of obscure. The car itself isn't horribly rare...but it is an unusual color, and the condition is excellent. This car lives next to where my fintail lives (pic was taken from the 126 of course)

Click here...image is large and this should ease any complaints

andys120

I was watching an old Naked City episode last night and a silver 356B figured in the story.
I never really appreciated those cars when they were new but I do now.
I can't tell if the car in your picture is pale yellow or ivory. Ivory was a common color on German cars of the period, yellow almost unheard of IIRC. Either way it's a very pretty car.

fintail

The car is like a light creamy yellow...I think it is too yellowish to be ivory. The pic captures the actual color pretty well. It's the only 356 that I have seen in that color.

The same guy also has a 356 Cabrio...I forget the color, I want to say maroon. He has decent taste.

tarik

...since you brought up the Maserati QP (the latest iteration of which I personally don't like), I wanted to see whether some of you guys consider the new Lancia Fulvia (slated to actually make it into production soon) a worthy successor of one of the more beautiful Coupés the 70s have seen?



Here's a Foto-Show, the official website is here.

fintail

It has some nice cues from the original...looks in proportion with the original...I think it's good. Front end is a little too pseudo-Japanese, but the window line is good. Some people may hate retro, but most modern original designs seem to be unable to create any character.

tarik

What you said, and I still like it! Admittedly, I have always had a soft spot for Italian cars - I typically classify cars by their design - but nobody can hold a candle to their Carozzerias. Ever.

andys120

I never gave much notice to the Fulvia although it was advanced for it's era. This one certainly gives Lancia something to set itself apart. I hope it does well even if it doesn''t ring my bell. I've got a definite thing for Italian cars.

Mr_Shiftright

Fabulous car the 356. One of the few 60s sports cars you can drive everyday in the modern world, rain or shine, reliably. I can't tell whether that yellow bird is a B or a C by the photo (need to look at shape of the hood. Hubcaps look a B, can't see the gas filler door either.

C coupes are worth the most even though they are newer, A coupes the least even though they are older. Reason? Disk brakes and more scoot on the Cs.

fintail

Maybe the next time I am out there I will see what it is. I have seen it up close though, and it is really immaculate. The Porsche guy has a 123 diesel as his daily driver, by the way.

Mr_Shiftright

Well, nobody's perfect.

fintail

LOL I thought you'd comment his good taste

This looks like it could be fun...I know the price is extreme, but you'd be sure to have the only one around

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2453105683&category=6233

wimsey1

recently? I just remembered that my brother had one in the '80's, I never got to drive it as it was NEVER, I do mean never, running when I was home from school. He actually sued the dealer that sold it to him...and won.

fintail

Was that the one with the large sunroof or targa top?

fintail

Here's a good 17 site

http://www3.sympatico.ca/rcrete/renault.htm

almostawake

You're right, that Galaxie was cool, but I'd think $8900 would be a fair price for it . . . guess the seller thought the CJ made it more valuable.

Mr_Shiftright

It's tought to get decent money for a cop car/fire car, and this is a wagon besides.

Bid was fair indeed, owner should have taken it. I don't see where there is much more money in the car, especially if he has to drag it around to auctions.

This is a textbook case of where "rare" does not mean valuable. As the tired old saying goes "It's good to be rare, but someone has to care".

If that was a real bid, seller is probably kicking himself right now, or feeling insulted perhaps.

You know, 31 bids on Ebay from across the country is a pretty telling indictment that your price is too high.

wimsey1

The 17 had a large sunroof option, my brother's didn't.