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

ab348

Since most British cars of the 1960s had positive ground electricals, and were ferocious rusters, I suspect that theory is an old wives' tale.

ab348

Regarding the Civic, the 1990-gen hatchback was simply the best-looking of its type. Later hatch Civics never came close to looking so good. I realize that it was in the next couple of generations of cars that the 2-door coupe was introduced, which is/was the '55 Chevy of Gen Y. Maybe they drove better, I dunno. I remember test-driving a '90 Civic when they were new and not being particularly impressed. A co-worker still drives the '97 Civic sedan she bought new and it is a miserable little thing to ride in. But Honda never made a Civic hatch that looked as good as that 1990 version.

andre1969

I do like ther recent commercials!

Oh crap...Mr. Opportunity isn't comin' a'knockin' again, is he?
:P

bumpy

The main benefit to positive ground is slightly more efficient electron flow, which was more important back in the 6 volt days. Some older farm tractors had positive ground for that reason.

isellhondas

Looks are so subjective.

Some would agree with you but most people wouldn't.

isellhondas

No, I think (andf hope) that Mr. O is gone for good.

I like the commercial when all a competitor can talk about is how long their warranty is.

The best warranty is the one you never have to use!

Me, I'll buy the CAR! not some warranty!

omarman

Driving past Roush Honda in Westerville last night I spotted this 1966 Bel Air at the front of their used car lot. This morning I searched their used car inventory and found pics online with the asking price of $10,991. Reminds me of the movie Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry. :shades:

imidazol97

I thought the Chev might be on consignment and owned by an individual, but it's owned by Roush Equipment Company. Oddly, the last activity on that car was in 2009 when it had 61468 on odo. Now it has exactly 61568. In 2009 it had 62000 on the odo recorded for title work. Odd.

jljac

I think of a yellow Dodge Charger when I hear of the Movie Dirty Larry and Crazy Larry. http://www.spike.com/video-clips/171j36/great-movie-car-chases-dirty-mary-crazy-- larry Not as good as the black Charger in the Steve McQueen movie Bullit" but better than the one in Dukes of Hazard.

I remember being in high school when a girl I liked got picked up by her father in his 1968 Charger, the first with the coke bottle shape. That was so cool. My favorite Dodge of all time.

texases

Any idea which engine? Nothing listed, no under-hood photos...

andre1969

I had a '91 Civic sedan as a rental when I was in California back in 1992, and, while it wasn't something I'd ever buy, it gave me a newfound respect for small cars. Previously I had pretty much dismissed them all as crap, no matter who made them.

It had poor acceleration, and seemed to top out around 75-80, unless you found a good level stretch of highway, manually shifted down, and got past that sticking point. And, given enough road, it would hit 115 mph. At least, according to the speedometer.

Overall though, it was too small, slow (acceleration, NOT top speed), and felt too fragile for my tastes. But, it didn't squeak or rattle, and the interior seemed laid out pretty well.

The 1992 Civic seemed a much more substantial car though. And it seemed like the seat went further back, so the driving position was more comfy for me. I always thought the '92 Civic had a futuristic look to it, and thought that the 1993 Intrepid bore a strong resemblance.

imidazol97

The VIN shows it's a V8. That's all I can find.

texases

"The VIN shows it's a V8. That's all I can find. "

Well, that's good. I was guessing the lack of info meant there was a fire breathing 250 cid 6 under the hood!

imidazol97

That would be based on the VIN number as decoded by the site I found. Who knows what engine is in the car now. And who knows if the VIN on the windshield is the one for the body.

bhill2

The VIN shows it's a V8. That's all I can find.

Yeah, as closely as I can tell from the front badges given the resolution of my monitor it has a small block.

ab348

Back around 1969 or so my brother in law had that exact same car in terms of body style and colors. GM must have made a few hundred thousand of blue Bel Airs in '66. His had the 250 inline 6 and was about as dull as dishwater. And of course it had hubcaps, not aftermarket wheels.

fintail

Saw an early 450SL today - small bumpers and hubcaps, so 1972-73, and a red Chevette speeding down the left lane of 405.

isellhondas

It's a lowly Bel Air so I would bet a lot of money that it's a 283 although a 327 wouldnt' be out of the question.

A 283 mated to a Powerglide powered many a Chevy and it was a damm nice ride equipped like that. the 195 HP 283 was more than adequate and the 2 speed Powerglide was a worthy transmission.

At 10,000, they are out of their minds!

uplanderguy

On that '66 Bel Air, the emblem in front of the wheel openings indicates a 283. The 327 indicated that above the vee, and the 396 or bigger had the much larger, distinct "Turbo Jet" emblem.

That interior is original or perfect reproduction, and I know that where I grew up and live now, I've never seen a '66 Bel Air with factory air like this car has. Too bad it's not a two-door sedan.

The '65 is my favorite big Chevy styling of that decade overall, and the '66 is close.

lemko

Nice car, but those super-stupid aftermarket wheels have got to go! That car would look infinitely better with the original steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps. It would look like "all business" I hate it when some knucklehead puts ugly aftermarket wheels like that on something like a four-door sedan thinking it makes the car look "cool." I think it's like putting a short sequinned dress and a low-cut top on your frumpy plump 55 year-old aunt. It just looks stupid!

Anyway, their asking price is completely and utterly insane. This car should go for about half that price and that's being really generous.

omarman

The '65 is my favorite big Chevy styling of that decade overall, and the '66 is close.

While still in high school I found a really clean '65 Impala sedan for sale when a friend of mine was shopping for his first ride. It was all stock - hubcaps and all. My friend bought it and became the designated driver for cruising because that interior was huge!

lemko

My Uncle Charlie had a beige 1965 Chevrolet Impala 4-door hardtop and there was a lady in my neighborhood who had a teal blue 1965 Impala Super Sport. I liked how that Chevy had "Super Sport" spelled out on the front fenders between the wheel well and the leading edge of the doors.

isellhondas

Wher I grew up in So. Calif by the ocean, a Bel Air with factory air would heve been somewhat uncommon but they did sell quite a few.

I remember when I worked for Sears, I can't tell you how many aftermarket underdash units we installed in cars like that! For under 200.00 OTD you could suddently have A/C that actually worked quite well!

Today, you couldn't get a recharge for that price!

I used to have two full time A/C installers and they were able to knock out three cars a day each.

fintail

I remember going to an estate sale back in the mid 90s and seeing a new in box maybe early 60s vintage aftermarket cooling unit, an underdash thing that I think worked when ice was put in it. I should have bought it.

fintail

Oddballs today - original looking 50-51 ish Chevy 2 door sedan, Peugeot 505 wagon, Bronco II.

au1994

I saw a Bronco II on the way to work yesterday and couldn't help but think those were not bad looking little 'ute's. Seemed like they were everywhere for a while.

tjc78

What were they underneath? A Ranger I assume? They weren't that bad looking, I guess they were like an Escape would be today.

au1994

Yep. A Ranger underneath. Many probably succumbed to the head failure on the 2.9 V-6.

fintail

I was thinking the same. The one I saw was a facelift model with the fancier wheels.

fintail

Pretty much identical to this, other than color:

au1994

I actually like those when they were new. For the time it was a smart looking ride, I thought and still had some off road capability.

isellhondas

Not sure about off road ability.

Those were very easy to flip on their sides. VERY easy!

ab348

There was a real problem with rollovers on them, wasn't there? Weren't they all recalled or something? I know the Explorer got more publicity for that, but I am sure the Bronco II had a big problem too.

ab348

On the drive home from work tonight in rush hour traffic, a '75 or so Eldorado convertible. Carrying British Columbia plates, so a long way from home being here on the east coast. Looked pretty original, certainly not restored, but not bad. Red paint with a white top and interior, and a really tacky looking continental kit stuck on the rear bumper. What a barge.

explorerx4

That was a good little video. Didn't have to watch the whole movie.

fintail

I think that's right. I remember back in the day my dad mentioning something like that too. Then, he bought an S-10 Blazer! No better, he would often say how he knew it was a risky handler.

Mr_Shiftright

the 75 Eldo is one of the worst-driving cars I've ever tried to aim down the road. I guess if you drive real slow, or only in a straight line on a glass smooth road, and never parallel parked it, you'd think it was dandy. I've driven houseboats that handled better than that thing.

fintail

I'm in Miami right now - have seen a few odd oldies, but old cars in general seem to be less common here than back in the northwest. I saw something odd today though: 77-79 full size Buick...convertible. It was definitely a professional conversion, not a backyard hack job, it was nicely finished and the top hid away smoothly.. Anyone ever seen anything like that before? I wish I could have got a pic but it drove by as I was in a restaurant.

stickguy

out last weekend (at night) was a yellow Datsun 240Z (no clue if 70 or later).

omarman

Hess and Eisenhardt from Cincy used to build a convertible Electra based on that late 70s gen full-sized Buick. Here's a couple scans from their brochure showing pics and some details about the conversion. H&E modified the JFK limo and it's possible that they built the convertible you saw in Miami too. The Enquirer posted a story about Willard Hess when he passed away in 2000.

omarman

Spotted a very clean original-looking 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo this morning. Rally wheels, green mist color, no loud pipes or low rider mods. Looked like this one. After seeing so many older cars hammered into over-sized hot wheels, it's nice to see a survivor out on the street. :shades:

wevk

Note that there is room for 2 engines under the hood.

ab348

I never knew that H&E built convertibles off that late-70s Electra platform. It looks great in those pictures. That would be a car to hold on to, but good luck trying to restore one!

ab348

I was surprised to see a soemwhat ratty but finctional 1964-66 Vauxhall Viva at a gas station here yesterday. I cannot remember the last time I saw one. A little, boxy, utilitarian car sold here by GM dealers with some success in the mid to late 60s.

fintail

Thanks, that looks exactly like what I saw. Can't be too many of those around!

Saw a few oldies today - a gorgeous 33 Buick close coupled sedan in Daytona Beach - stock restoration, period tan color. Saw a 69-70 Ford big sedan (likely Galaxie) in Daytona as well. Also a mint W123 down around Cape Canaveral and a nice W126 on Merritt Island.

berri

I imagine all the Canadian license plates are gone by now. During winter Daytona could fly the Canadian flag (well, except for nascar week when it becomes the rebel flag)! I don't know if it's still there, but years back there was a great restaurant called Aunt (I forget the lady's name). Going down the strip at its southern end there is a road that takes A1A back to the mainland and Port Orange. The restaurant sat on the left side of that road by the Intercoastal waterway.

btw, I'm pretty sure there is a nonstop to Vegas from Orlando too!

fintail

Haven't noticed any Canuckistan plates, but many from pretty much all over, including ID and WA. Today I took 1A from Daytona Beach to the road to Jacksonville, nice laid back drive.

I've generally had a negative opinion of FL all my life, and much of this trip hasn't changed my mind - but I will say Daytona Beach seems like a cool area. Lots of car/bike themed stuff, roads seem good, drivers not as bad as Miami, Orlando, or here in Jacksonville, and oceanfront houses cost about the same as a nice condo where I live now.

Here's something odd I saw today in St. Augustine:

stickguy

A later 60s (maybe 70?) Riviera. Black. Looked in decent shape.

uplanderguy

Boy, to see an Imperial two-door hardtop of that vintage sure is rare to my eyes! Thank you for posting.

jljac

That Imperial is a nice looking car, either a 1955 or 1956. I have trouble telling them apart and the Imperials look much like the Chryslers of that era too. The very same vehicle might be pictured here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Exner

In 1955 Chrysler products suddenly became nice looking cars, designed by Virgil Exner after he quit Studebaker because he did not get along with his boss, Raymond Lowey. http://www.howstuffworks.com/imperial-cars.htm

Exner was working independently of Lowey although he was a Lowey employee at the time. Lowey fired him and Studebaker hired him and kept him to the proving grounds working independently of Lowey until he moved to Chrysler, based upon a referral by Studebaker Chief engineer Roy Cole.

There was a TV show called Sky King in 1955 that featured a Chrysler station wagon which impressed me very much. The 55s and 56 models were very nice, but in 1957 the quad headlights and big fins arrived.