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

Mr_Shiftright

I'd have to add that the Avanti II's lifespan was perhaps ten years too long, kind of like an old cat. But if you love your cat and it can still enjoy life, what's the harm I guess.

Mr_Shiftright

Old Powerglide Transmission Question

jljac

BTW, putting a rubber bumper guard on that razor-thin chrome bumper is blasphemy IMO!

I did not mind the addition to the chrome bumper as much as the large body colored bumpers and headlight enclosures that followed in 1984. Most cars today have something shiny or chrome colored up front. Keeping up with federal safety standards was necessary because the Avanti II was a production car not a reproduction.

When I first got my 1963 Studebaker Avanti in 1972, it got a lot of attention everywhere I stopped because it looked so unusual. By 1982 it looked like a lot of other cars and my 1955 Studebaker Commander got more attention. Whenever any criticizes the production life of the Avanti they never give any examples of any other car that lasted longer or was compared favorably to other cars 20 years after its introduction. To this day I am not aware of another fiberglass production car that could seat four people.

fintail

Here's the car before, I have to believe it is the same car:



I think it lived so long because it was unique - a few designs have done that. It was never really trendy, so it didn't age off like most cars. What I can compare it to most is the old Jag XJS, which lived for 20 years or so with just a relatively minor facelift late in life. That too was never really trendy when new, so it never really looked old.

explorerx4

CT classic plates with a 4.2 badge on the back. It was kind of a champagne color and driver wore a tweed jacket and cap.
The unique thing about it was being a right hand drive model.

uplanderguy

This morning, a woman was happy to have spotted my obscure car. I was out in the fintail driving around Yarrow Point (very affluent area), and a woman maybe in her 60s flagged me down and started raving about the car, how it brought back memories of one that was in her family 50 years ago, how they also had a ponton, etc. Pretty cool.

I love that kind of thing about driving an old car....although, in the Studebaker Drivers' Club, we kid that if everyone who told us that their uncle had one, was right, they'd still be in business!

Once in awhile I'll get somebody who approaches me at a gas station or whatever, who I know is right because they'll mention South Bend, or a dealer I've heard about around here. Love those moments.

fintail

I don't have to deal with everyone and their uncle having a fintail - although to many people, an old MB is an old MB, and they are all the same to many. It does amuse me how cars remain in the memories of people who aren't active enthusiasts.

stickguy

I honestly can't think of the last time I saw a Fintail actually moving. Once in a blue moon a decrepit one rotting away someplace, but ambulatory? not recently.

lemko

...rough-looking teal blue 1967 Ford Thunderbird two-door hardtop with a black vinyl rood and crumpled front end at a repair shop on Magee and Oxford Avenue in NE Philly. Also, a red 1970 Olds Cutlass two-door hardtop passed by at Rhawn and Bustleton.

lemko

There used to be a dark gray fintail parked near my middle school back in the late 1970s. Back then it was rusted out at the top of the fenders near the headlight bezels. This area seemed to be a weak spot for fintails.

stickguy

typical rust bucket of the era in an area like this with salty winters.

I saw a next generation today. Dropped my car off to have tires balanced (at a tire store near me), and they had what appeared to be a 1970s vintage sedan (no, I don't remember what "W" it was). Dark blue 4 door, looked pretty original (as in a bit tired). No idea what it was in for.

texases

Fiero GT, that is, followed it in to work. Looked in great shape.

fintail

That would be a W108/109

In areas that have any rust, I think most fintails were fading away 25 years ago. Even out here where rust is a lot slower, it seems there were many more 15 years ago than now - time finally caught up, and many have been parted out and scrapped. They go around the lights like lemko mentioned, as well as rockers, floors, sills, trunk. Like most period cars, they really need to be garaged to survive.

stickguy

got a better look at the MB when I picked my car up.

It is a small rear bumper bumper (so what, '72-'73 at the latest?). And it is a 250C coupe. Not bad looking at all, but very faded paint. Did not notice rust but did not get up close to it.

There was an inline engine dangling from a hoist behind it, so I am guessing that it may be in for something major!

fintail

That would be a W114 coupe, sold here from IIRC 1968-76, pretty much unchanged save for engines, bumpers, and minor trim details. Like this, shown with a 123 coupe in front of it, and a 124 coupe in front of it:



The 114s replaced the lowline (W110) fintails. Even the hardtop coupes aren't especially valuable today.

omarman

I got interested in model car kits when I was in the 3rd grade and the 1967 T-bird was one of the first kits I bought. The very first model I remember putting together was a Shelby Cobra. Even little kids and their toys were caught up in the Ford vs. Ferrari drama of World Cup racing back then! Ironically, the Shelby Cobra went on to be the ultimate kit car for big kids.

What I liked about that '67 Thunderbird was how it reflected the time it was "born" in. Completely stock, a new T-bird seemed to fit right in with the Kustom Kulture in 1967. Not always a thing of beauty or good taste but then again I've always liked choppers too. I guess the time you grew up in will always have an influence - for better or worse! :P

robr2

Fiero GT, that is, followed it in to work. Looked in great shape.

I've spotted 2 Fieros this week - both 2M4's. One silver and one red. Both looked to be in pretty good shape. I always wanted one.

Yesterday I spotted a early 70's Sedan DeVille - cream colored with a white vinyl top. It was about 50% in terms of condition. HUGE!!

uplanderguy

I guess the time you grew up in will always have an influence - for better or worse!

So true.

When the '67 Thunderbird was out, I was nine but already a car nut. I thought making a four-door 'Bird was blasphemy. Still feel a little that way! Never a big fan of hideaway headlights or enormous, blind "C" pillars like that '67. But I did like the mid'60's 'Bird's wraparound rear seat. Remember what Ford's '67 steering wheels looked like? They had a big, round, extended padded part in the center.

uplanderguy

I think those 124 hardtops were one of the best-looking Benzes that I can remember. I honestly didn't know the model number 'til you mentioned it. What era were those (I'm guessing '80's), and where were they in the lineup as far as price was concerned?

fintail

The C124, sold as the 300CE and E320 coupe in NA, were sold here from model years 1988-95. I think MSRP was around 50K, slightly inflating over time. From 1993-95 there was also a cabrio variant that had a ~20K premium.

I'd go for an AMG version:

ab348

Remember what Ford's '67 steering wheels looked like? They had a big, round, extended padded part in the center.

Yes, the "flowerpot" wheel. For whatever reason Ford could not get the same kind of collapsible steering column done for the '67 models as the other manufacturers did when it became a federal requirement, so they put the collapsible component in the steering wheel hub that year.

lemko

The "flowerpot"

andys120

I spotted a 65-is Valiant hardtop. It's not that unusual in AZ to see 1960s economy/compact cars in use as daily drivers. The rust doesn't get 'em but the paint is usually shot from overexposure to sunlight as was the case here although a repaint would've made this car look pretty decent.

uplanderguy

Of course, it's all what you're used to, and I was from a GM family then...but I think comparing the instrument panel on that Galaxie 500 to an Impala of the same year...also comparing the looks of window cranks and integration of door armrests, etc....I can see why GM was the sale-leader year in, year out, back then.

ab348

Yes, absolutely. Comparing the dash and interior of the '67 Impala to the '67 Galaxie was no contest as the Impala was just light years ahead. Ford interiors in the '60s generally were nowhere nearly as well-done as GM, with a few exceptions like the Thunderbird and IMO the Mustang.

tjc78

Here is an oddball. Clicky

uplanderguy

Boy, that is an oddball! When I see vehicles that long, they always look to me like they'd snap in the middle!

lemko

Here's the 1967 Impala dashboard for comparison.



My Grandpop had a 1967 Bel Air sedan. I remember ridingup front with him when I was a little kid. That dashbord looked like it went all the way to the floor. Loved those big round instruments. Even the turn signal flasher had a unique sound.

Mr_Shiftright

Decidedly not easy to read that dash sometimes if the sunlight was at a certain angle.

lemko

It would be easier if that cover wasn't over the dials, but the dashboard would've had somewhat of an unfinished look to it. They change the dashboard in 1968 and went with a conventional strip speedometer which, IMHO, was a backward step. My Dad almost bought a used 1968 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan until he discovered the crooked dealer filled the crankcase with STP to mask the burnt valves. They got away with a lot of crap back in the day.

stickguy

on the Belt parkway in Brooklyn (a scary thought knowing that road), but a 65ish FS Chrysler convertible. Black, looked in nice shape. Also looked like an aircraft carrier on very skinny inset wheels.

fintail

GM really understood aesthetics, once. What happened?

uplanderguy

I liked the look of the clear cover over the instruments...sort-of like headlight covers!

IMHO, a weird Chevy instrument panel of the same year, was the Chevelle's. The speedometer was a ribbon and was tilted upwards, underneath a panel that ran the whole width of the dash that had the ignition and other switches...above the speedometer!

We had a new '67 Chevelle and it was a good car, and that year is probably my favorite '60's Chevelle. I know everybody likes the '68 and '69, but I can absolutely remember looking at the new '68's. Even at age 9-plus, I could tell that the Chevelles had shrunk (particularly the two-doors). In '68 there was only a one-inch difference in wheelbase between a Nova and a two-door Chevelle!

Mr_Shiftright

Arrogance, insularity.

berri

How about the 67 Plymouth IP? I think it beats both of them.

ab348

I actually prefer the '66 Chevelle's front end styling over the '67, but both years look good and both had that bizarre IP you mentioned. I am normally not a fan of Chevelles of that era as they were more cheaply built and trimmed than their Oldsmobile/Buick cousins, but I like that vintage.

Back in the mid-90s when I bought my '68 Cutlass, just over from my parking spot in the apartment building where I lived was a '67 Chevelle 2-door that never seemed to be driven, but which obviously someone attended to since it never got covered in dust. It was nicely restored but was a pretty bare-bones car. However it had a 327 according to the badges and was a 4-speed car. Looked like a sleeper in what was either Nantucket or Marina Blue metallic paint, blue interior but not much else. I probably could have bought it for a decent price back then compared to what it would bring today. Funny thing is I have never seen that car anywhere in the 15 years since I moved out - wonder if it is still there.

andre1969

For me it's a tossup between the '67 Chevy and '67 Plymouth dash. I like them both. I think I like the fact that the Chevy uses a round speedo rather than a strip, but like the fact that the Plymouth had more gauges standard. They're both attractive to look at though, I think. And either one makes the Ford dash look ancient in comparison though...the Ford looks like it's still trapped in some of the jukebox excesses of the late 50's!

fintail

I recently went through some auction records, and found This Green Beauty that I have linked before sold for 6K - which seems like a nice price, to me. I'd just want to replace the already obsolete looking stereo with a period correct Becker Mexico cassette - and then maybe win some awards at local MB shows. I like the colors of this car, the 70s style is kind of cool too, not many left that look so appealing.

Mr_Shiftright

the price is high retail on the SLC, but the condition seems better than average.

fintail

I added 10% for olive green interior and original sales paperwork :shades:

andre1969

I guess more often than not, they end up like this nowadays...


I snapped this shot yesterday in, of all places, the cemetery in, Burkittsville, MD. Supposed home of the Blair Witch. I thought they had done some filming in this cemetery for the second movie, but then, disappointingly, I found out it was actually shot in another cemetery in Northern Maryland a couple miles off I-83. Guess if I'm feeling in a morbid mood, I'll have to pay a visit to that cemetery the next time I go up to PA for one of my car shows!

stickguy

reminds me of a newer MB I saw today at a gas station I pass on my way to work. newer (probably a 2000-2005ish I would guess) C class (almost positive it was a C, too small for an E).

the notable part? it was a bit banged up on the side, and someone had replaced the door on a blue car with a black one. And i don't think it was just unpainted (and have no idea why someone would put a bare door on and put the glass and all back in before painting it, or is that how they do things these days?)

Just looked really odd seeing a Benz the way you normally see a 1990 Camry in the back country.

fintail

Typical resting spot for both a 928 and a SLC. The latter is pretty heavy, so good scrap value, anyway. Both cars couldn't have more retro style, and are cool when mint, but unreclaimable if neglected. You know when the roadster model isn't terribly valuable after 40 years, the closed car is in trouble. Nice to know a fintail is worth more than something.

I saw a SLC on the road last week, but it had huge bumpers.

fintail

Probably a salvage title car now scraping the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. I see some questionably rebuilt later model MB on craigslist from time to time. Try to look rich for cheap.

au1994

Looking at the condition of those two is sort of its own Blair Witch Project.

garv214

Probably a salvage title car now scraping the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. I see some questionably rebuilt later model MB on craigslist from time to time. Try to look rich for cheap.

My buddy Mike used to refer to a car's "Social Impact per Dollar" spent to evaluate cars like that... :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

The 928 actually looks pretty good---it's 10X the car that an SLC is---you get the same Old German headaches and Manhattan phone-book-size repair bills, but you also get great handling and outstanding performance. Your choice: German Corvette or German Buick?

The choice is yours. :P

The magic words in the advertisement when shopping for a 928 or an old 450SL or SLC is "needs nothing".

fintail

There's a time and place for both Buicks and Corvettes. MB hasn't made any really sporty cars since what, the W113 SL? They've made insanely powerful or fast cars that weigh as much as a victorian apartment block, or small cars with lots of detached smoothness, but it's not where you look for if you seek genuine sport, anyway. Luxury sport in that order, cruising with maybe some acceleration and roadholding, but generally too big to really blast around. The R107 SL family fits that.

I don't know if those cars needed nothing by the time they rolled off the showroom floor :shades:

andre1969

Looking at the condition of those two is sort of its own Blair Witch Project

I also saw a '60 Chevy Impala hardtop coupe rotting into a cow pasture near Harper's Ferry, WVA. I think it would've taken the Exorcist to bring it back to life! Also saw a beat-up '64 1/4 or so Mustang with no rear axle, with a tree stump keeping it elevated, and a mid-70's Pinto that, all things considered, didn't look too bad! Oh, and a '53 Bel Air sedan that was worn and faded but looked rust free, and a couple of Model-T's. At least I think they were T's and not A's. The T- has wood spokes and the A- has metal wheels, right?

My friends that I was with were freaking out a bit, saying that some of the places I was driving looked like something out of "Wrong Turn" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", etc. But I was thinking man, I could get used to living in a place like this! :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

I always tell people that driving a Mercedes 2-seater in a very aggressive manner is a lot like dancing with a very large man or woman. If you spin them around too fast, their shirt might come out of their pants or their skirt might lift indelicately----BUT---they can dance! :P

Having owned a W113, I wouldn't call it a sports car---maybe the early 230SL could be called a genuine rally car, so yes, you could "track" that one, but otherwise, the Gullwing was really the first and only postwar Benz sportscar ever made IMO.