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I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)
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I had heard of this lady before, but just saw this three-year-old video today. Margaret Dunning was 101 here (amazing) and drives a 1930 Packard 740:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/qxCpK1W_Gjw?feature=player_embedded
I saw another interview with her online, from the Glenmoor Gathering and they asked her what her daily driver was. She said a 2003 Cadillac but didn't say which model. My guess is a DeVille.
Funny that most people today couldn't come close to driving that thing. I'm sure I'd be doing a lot of grinding.
Here's a somewhat similar story:
Odd cars this morning - same grey-green W126 I see now and then, unfortunately not kept pristine, very nice condition white 84 Monte Carlo SS, decent condition earlier K-car convertible.
Great color-combo IMHO. I'm a fan of greens although typically in later-era cars they're resale-killers so I've heard. So what.
Spotted a metallic beige 1963 Chevrolet Corvair four door sedan near a repair shop on Bingham and Martins Mill Road in NE Philly.
In my mind's eye, I continue to spot the first car I remember my father owning:
a red Borgward Isabella!
Not sure the year, maybe '63?
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I was at the local Festival of Speed yesterday and spotted one of my faves from when I was in high school - a Honda 600 coupe. Don't know if I would fit in one nowadays, but it looked just as big inside as it did back then. I've always liked small cars, in spite of my 6 feet and 2 inches. Wish I had Jay Leno's money . . . .
Guy had a Honda 600 in high school - his 'friends' turned it 90 degrees (by hand) in his parking spot, he couldn't get out!
This was a fun one like that in the news today. Fun, unless it was your car.
"Tipping over large, heavy objects just for kicks is nothing new. High schoolers, football teams and fraternities have supposedly been tipping cows in pastures for years, and picking up VW bugs and moving them elsewhere was a minor fad back in the 1960s and 1970s.
The exact motives behind the vandalism are unclear. The diminutive cars are smaller and lighter than most vehicles. A Smart car weighs about 1,500 pounds."
Vandals Flip Smart Cars Over in San Francisco (nbcbayarea.com)
I had a Honda 600 and yes, a 6-footer can fit in it no problem. It was a fantastic little car, but ridiculous;y small for modern freeway. But it could rev like nobody's business and it moved right along. It's not something a driver of a modern car would tolerate, but it sure was fun--and had a toasty heater. I'm not sure--it had either 12 inch or 10 inch wheels. Honda 600 motorcycle engine, with chain driven transmission. I think the transmission was progressive, not selective---not sure--it was a long time ago. It had one of those "push-pull" gearshifts.
I did notice the wheels on the car were 10 inch. There was also a hatchback model with a sportier look and I believe the same engine. Here's a couple more pics...
Sounds cool and it's probably a bit of a monster to drive and handle. Renntech SL for sale.
vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/cto/4412682542.html
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Where do you get that SL serviced? And parts must be tough to get.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Funny, I posted that 129 a week or two ago. It is indeed a very rare car. There were similar models made of 140 S-class and 210 E-class, too. The E would be a real sleeper, and you'd shock people when you open the hood. I wouldn't mind having a 90s hyper-MB, but routine maintenance is probably enough of a chore where it couldn't be a daily driver. And I'd rather have an 80s AMG.
To have it serviced, you make a good relationship with a brave indy mechanic, and you do some footwork to source parts.
Here's the E, pretty wacky
Back in the 80's there was a small independent shop in Berkeley CA that worked on Honda 600's. The Honda Dealers wouldn't work on them.
At the time, there must have been a lot of 600's in the Bay Area because that shop was always packed with them.
When I was in school in Bellingham in the late 90s, I remember there were at least a couple 600s around, I recall them being well-kept. Bellingham is the kind of place where a car like that would find a friend. I remember at least one N600 too.
Yep, that's it. I used to work on motorcycles a lot, so repairs weren't difficult for me. Oh, I forgot about the little door in back for the spare tire. I really miss that car.
Cool video, yeah maintenance on a limited production tuned Benz or BMW could be up there. I would guess any major parts would need to be custom fabricated if they needed replacement (internal engine parts etc..)
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Honda
S600
Oh, my...I had forgotten about those. I think I've seen one
I remember 600 hatches--was totally turned off by the baby-doll size of everything--same with early '70's Subarus I looked at, at our local Pontiac dealer who added Subaru but soon dropped them. I have no memory whatsoever of the S600--what years were those made?
For andre--this link sent to me today by Hemmings--Dodge-based '58 DeSoto:
http://ow.ly/vyjlk
@uplanderguy. Try clicking on the picture, it is high res. That should give you your answer.
I think that Coral or Salmon like color is kind of neat and reflective of those anything goes mid to late 50's. I wonder if the upper levels offered that color in a tri-tone combo? When I was a little kid, my mom had an old college friend who was rather striking looking and had made it well in the Advertising business. She came out to our suburban house a few times and drove a white 57 Chrysler 300 convertible. It sure got plenty of attention from all the guys in the neighborhood. However, on one of those trips she hit the power brakes hard in rain and they were quite sensitive skidding her all around the road. It skidded into a small drainage ditch and I think most all of the husbands on the block quickly showed up to push her out! Of course it didn't take long for the wives to appear either (I'm sure they just were there in case the lady needed any help). A few years later when I was in Junior High, an attractive red head divorcée and her high school daughter moved in the next block over. She drove a flashy black '59 Impala convertible with red interior (kind of appropriate I guess) . Hmm, I'm beginning to understand why I like those Forward Look Mopars and the 59 GM's
Unfortunately, my friends and I basically lived a much more mundane life growing up.
I know that DeSoto is a lower model, but I think that color combo is striking.
Interesting, that they comment about the 350 Wedge not seeming like all that impressive of an engine. Considering the car is fairly basic, with manual steering and brakes, I'd guess it's just the 2-bbl version and not the 4. The 2-bbl had 280 hp, versus 295 for the 4. That 2-speed Powerflite might hold back performance a bit.
I've also heard that the Wedge, initially at least, wasn't quite the performer that the Hemi was. I've seen an old test of a '57 Firedome convertible, with the 341-2bbl Hemi, 270 hp, and 3-speed Torqueflite, and 0-60 came up in around 9.7 seconds. But I saw a '58 Firesweep test, with the 350 (can't remember if it was a 2- or 4-bbl), 3-speed Torqueflite, and 0-60 was a bit slower, around 10.6 seconds...despite being a lighter, smaller car.
However, the '57 Firesweeps used a 325 poly-head engine with 245 hp in 2-bbl form or 260 in 4-bbl, so I'm sure the '58 was an improvement over that! Consumer Reports tested a '57 Dodge Royal with the 245 hp version of the 325, with a Powerflite, and 0-60 was around 13.3 seconds.
The '57-58 Firesweeps were on a 122" wheelbase, instead of 126" for the bigger DeSotos. However, the DeSoto grille didn't mate up very well to the Dodge fenders, so it jutted out more than it should have. The end result was a car that was only two inches shorter...216" versus 218".
I never really cared for the '57 Firesweep, because the single headlights just didn't look good, IMO. But for '58, with the more complex grille and quad headlights, I think it dresses the car up a lot better.
As for two-toning, I think DeSoto only did it one year, with the 1955 Fireflite Coronado sedan. That car had a turquoise body, and you could get either a white spear and black roof, or black spear and white roof. I think Chrysler and Dodge played around with two-toning for 1955-56, and Plymouth might have, as well one or two of those years. By '57 though, I think they were all back to just single or two-tones, although I could be wrong.
BTW, here's another article on the same car...more in depth, and more pics, but the pic quality isn't as good. Makes the car look redder than it is: http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2008/01/01/hmn_feature8.html
Strange day.
Saw a pristine Ford Maverick. Probably a 1970-1971.
Then five minutes later, a Pinto Hatchback in about the same condition. I'm guessing a 1972 because it didn't have the ugly 5MPH bumpers.
Today saw a ~70 Beetle in barn/bottom of lake fresh condition, with a driver wearing a surgical mask. Just a little odd.
Also recently saw an Audi 4000 Quattro in typical survivor condition.
I thought those early Pinto's were decent looking little cars. Too bad they went BOOM. Now the Maverick didn't do much for me. Maybe because the inside was so cheapo without even a glove box. But I will say I knew a guy who owned the Comet version and that thing just ran and ran with very little maintenance or attention, so I'm guessing they were fairly rugged for the price.
IIRC, Consumer Reports tended to rate the Maverick and Comet pretty highly...at least until they started complicating things with emissions controls and such. They were cheap cars, but they were also pretty simple. They tended to rust, but that's a blanket statement you can make about pretty much anything from that era.
They were also a lot lighter than something like a Dart/Valiant or Nova, and that might have worked to their advantage. Less weight stressing out the suspension, drivetrain, brakes, etc.
If ours was any example, they weren't particularly good cars. Our '74, aside from a tendency to rust unbelievably fast, was very squirrely on the highway over 55 mph. Attempts to find out why were hopeless until one day, not long before we dumped it, a tech doing an alignment pointed out that the upper parts of the front suspension (buried in the spring towers and inaccessible) were loose - and probably had been since new or nearly so. Add to that brakes that always shot the car tot he left, and you had a very unhappy car to drive. Plus it had many of the build quality problems you might expect for the time, with lots of wind and water leaks and stuff rattling and breaking. It was just a cheap car.
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My dad, who worked for Packard for many many years, and later Lincoln Mercury, doted on his little Pinto in his later years. Oh, the irony. I guess after years of driving floaty boaty monsters he found the Pinto much easier to park and drive. He became quite the small car advocate when in his 80s.
Back in the 70's I was in the market for a commuter car.
I called on an ad for a VW bug but as I pulled into the neighborhood where the VW was I spotted a 71 Pinto in a driveway with a For Sale sign on it.
I went and looked at the VW but I didn't buy it on the spot and I decided to stop and take a closer look at the Pinto. As I recall, they were about the same price.
I ended up buying the Pinto on the spot. It was that mustard color. It had the 2000 engine and an automatic. I kept it for a couple of years and really thought it was an excellent car. I sold it to a guy I worked with and I understand his daughter drove it for years.
Good thing it never got rear ended!
I think they made more '63 Wildcats then the seller thinks they did but the four speed makes it ultra rare!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buick-Other-Hardtop-sport-coupe-1963-Buick-Wildcat-factory-4-speed-Sport-Coupe-/111318998775?forcerrptr=true&hash=item19eb211ef7&item=111318998775&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
Maybe he means 200 4-speed models? Cool that the car is local, and has year of manufacture dealer plates.
Speaking of Pintos, my paternal grandmother had one when I was little. I vaguely remember it - a hatchback model, I think with the large glass window. She'd later have multiple Cavaliers. In the late 80s, my dad somehow got an urge to buy a Pinto "Cruisin Wagon", and at the time, there were still a few around, I remember looking at them with him. I think my mother objected to it, and that was that.
That is a pretty car, but I am wondering why the restoration is being abandoned. The interior would not be that hard to re-do, all it takes is some $$, same with the trunk. The body issues concern me - I wonder if more cancer was discovered than he is willing to deal with? I honestly cannot recall ever hearing of a 4-speed full-size Buick in that era. Guess you learn something every day!
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The shift in that Buick looks kind of strange.
Yeah, I was wondering about the odd angle of the shifter, and the 'automatic' kind of slot for it...??
Yeah, I thought the same thing. I've seen ONE other Wildcat with a four speed that I know was correct. It also happened to have the dual 4BBL option. Talk about RARE!
When people talk about "minor rust bubbles" I always assume that the rust is a whole lot worse than "minor".
I went back and looked again at that Buick and it just looks kinda "artificial".
@andre1969 Since you are getting a bit older, how about a nice Buick?
http://www.specialinterest.com/viewad.cfm?Show_Notepad=Yes&bnAd_ID=7005866&TheDealer=
Not a bad price actually, given what it is. Not a gold mine, for sure, but it's a car you could use every day, especially if you lived in the country.
That '74 Buick is a nice car, but that is the same awful (IMHO) pale, non-metallic green our '74 Impala Sport Coupe was. Ours had a white painted top to soften the blow a little! I wanted a maroon one our dealer had instead but lost out to Dad who had the checkbook, of course.
>
This ipecac "evergreen" didn't even make the 10 worst car colors list. I know, how is that possible?
I dunno, it's kind of nice to see that roadster in other than black, silver or white. I don't think the color is so much awful, as it should have a light colored top and interior instead of that black. I think that would make it come across a little better. But then, if buyers were willing to buy other than basic color cars, we'd probably have more choices today I suppose. No -I'm not wearing plaid sans-a-belt slacks and white bucks and belt
That is a really nice '74 Regal. I kinda like that color, although I've heard it referred to as "gonorrhea green". I tend to associate it more with something like a '78-79 Malibu. I don't think I've ever seen a Regal that nicely equipped, especially one that early. It seems like with the GM intermediates from that era, the newer ones tended to be the better trimmed/equipped ones, so at least you get some consolation for the less desireable engines.
Looking in my old car book, it shows two 350 choices...150 and 175 hp. So I'd guess it's reasonable to say the 175 hp version would be the 4-bbl. Probably not a bad performer for the era. My '76 Grand LeMans had a Pontiac 350-4bbl, which has either 165 or 175 hp depending on who you want to believe (Consumer Guide or Motor's Repair Manual), but by '76 they were using a taller axle as well.
As for that BMW Z3, I actually like that color...but just not on that car. Still, it's unique, so I'll give it that!
gonorrhea green
I didn't know VD gave you snot
I actually kind-of like that green on the BMW. I get so tired of earth tones.
When we were getting ready to buy our '99 Venture van, there was a green that looked like springtime, freshly-cut grass. I've also seen that color on Park Avenues of the era of andre's. I liked that color, but my wife said something about it I couldn't even print here. So we got a navy blue that was so dark it was mistaken for black by a friend of mine. We did get the brownish interior--I tend to try and avoid gray interiors if I can.
I see green Park Avenues around from time to time. Actually, one came up for sale a couple months after I bought mine! I never did go look at it, but was tempted to check it out. Mine is a light brown/sandstone color that's so common I'd swear every other Buick was painted that color!
I think a higher percentage of leSabres had the similar sandstone color than did the Park Avenues. It's enough that when my wife really liked the champaign silver Malibu I had to get past seeing all the sandstone leSabres in that color. Champaign silver is lighter and nicer, but it was still reminding me of the the blah neutral beach sand color.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I think I know the paint you are talking about here - it was a metallic green, correct? I always liked that color because it was unique - it actually had some vibrancy to it with being too impactful or in your face. Reminded me of a late-60s paint color.
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