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I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)
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Saw 2x 560SL today, and a MGB with chrome bumpers and minilite style wheels.
Are MGBs obscure now? They made a boatload of 'em. I guess the herd is definitely thinning.
not that old, but someone just outside my neighborhood has a Jag S type. Only noticed it today because they have it parked at the end of the driveway, with a for-sale sign on it.
I need to stop and see if any info like years, miles or $, but gotta figure that could be a tough sell.
Bright red too. Odd color to see one in.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
on the road this evening (local streets) a loud sounding 70ish road Runner. Jacked a bit in the back, and not quite stock wheels, but looked pretty clean.
and later I passed a hot sounding 75ish Camaro. Would have liked a closer look at that one too.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
On the road today came up on a really mint looking white mid 70's Mercury Monarch. An old guy was driving it, so I wonder if he is the original owner. I'm not sure there were a lot of those made versus the more popular Ford Granada version.
Saw a Bright Yellow P1800 with blacked out grille and wheels. A 55 Chevy Coupe Black and White two tone paint. Looked really nice. Also, a dark 69 Camaro loud, with a vinyl roof.
local car show in northeast Ky Friday night I saw from a distance what appeared to be a 2 door hardtop 65 Chevelle or GTO. When I got closer it turned out to be a 65 Rambler Classic 770 with a 327 engine. Was really surprised how much it looked like a GM product.
Also a 1980 something Chevette with 30K miles & looked brand new.
I never really thought about it, but now that you mention it, a '65 Rambler Classic 770 does seem a bit GM-ish at a quick glance. The lower body has a similar, somewhat blocky look. And towards the rear, the taillights and that trim piece between them does favor a LeMans/GTO a bit.
definitely obscure. A dark blue Torino Talladega in the parking of a local grocery store.
Some odd cars here, at an old car rally in Moscow - surprised to see what are certainly quite a few recent USA imports.
Nice rally in Moscow!
Here's one of my favorite colors for my Vette.
Wheels. Tires, Color. Memories of these things from my younger days.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC09934_zps9a28e76f.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC09934_zps9a28e76f.jpg
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I can agree with a light maybe kind of silvery blue, one of my favorite colors for any car.
Out on the road in my old car today, which was running very nicely save for the turn signals. Car got lots of looks and even saw a guy taking pics of it when it was parked. Saw a pagoda SL who gave me a wave, a maybe-Shelby ~67 Mustang fastback, a very clean late 60s-early 70s Econoline, a cool maybe ~67 Mopar wagon - perhaps a Satellite?, an obviously restored 58-60 Ford pickup, and the older woman in a 560SEC I see now and then who sits so close to the wheel, it makes me cringe.
Today I spotted a weathered but totally complete and original looking 1959 Edsel sitting in a European Auto Repair Shop.. I'm surprised if they are planning to work on it.
Our local AAA Drive In has shows every Sunday this time of the year and theis one was for convertables. some spectacular cars! 54 Buick Special, 64 Wildcat, 65 Wildcat too many Mustangs. Lots of cars showed up. Didn't see Fintail though.
My car isn't a convertible
I need to remember to head out there some day, maybe when there's a more general old car meet.
Speaking of odd shops, do you venture into Bellevue much? There's a shop at Bel-Red and 140th that has a bizarre assortment of cars sitting around, everything from MBs and Jags to 60s American cars.
Saw something disturbing I spotted at Rising Sun Avenue and Cottman in NE Philly - somebody rat-rodded a 1969 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. It was flat black with red steelies mounted on whitewall tires. I love the 1969 Cadillac and, to me, this was something of a sacrelige.
Well it's not worth very much as a collectible, especially since it probably wasn't in great shape to being with---sometimes these old barges get a second life as rat rods, because they aren't worth the cost of restoration. I know a guy who has a bunch of 60s Cadillacs. I call it his field of dreams, because the cost of restoring these cars exceeds their value by 5X at least.
I would much rather see a '69 Cadillac completely bastardized and running down the street, than have it rotting away somewhere.
I actually had the same thought this past weekend at the Ford show in Carlisle, PA. There was a 1970 Ford Torino wagon there, red with fake woodgrain. From a distance it looked okay, but up close you could see how rough it was, and it had some rust holes in it. But still, I can't remember the last time I've even seen a car like that in ANY condition, let alone pristine. So even though you'd most likely never see it at Pebble Beach, it was still kinda cool to see one. I'd rather see it at this local show, where it's obvious that someone at least cares about it, than see it get crushed, or for it to rot away.
This morning I saw the older woman I see now and then, pristine 86-87 XJ6, unfortunately she had high beams on in city traffic. Also late run XJS cabrio, very nice W126 300SD, and a nice looking W116 of some sort, from a distance.
This one?
I spotted an older wagon. I do not know the year because I forgot to get the front picture. It is a Buick (I think); the GM only show was sponsored by a Buick club but weather was rainy keeping many cars away.
Can the year be determined from this rear view? I don't remember seeing a wagon similar to this at any cruise-in here in this area. But the wagons were fairly common in the neighborhoods when new. Most probably melted away to rust.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I don't know if you can tell those '73-77 wagons apart from the rear, and I don't see them often enough to have all the details ingrained in my mind. With a lot of cars you can tell a '73 apart from a '74 or later because the bumpers for '74 would be thicker, but I think the '73 GM colonades hit the market with bulky bumpers, front and rear.
I know for '76-77, the Regal/Century wagons and sedans got vertical rectangular headlights up front. I think that made the fenders a bit taller than '73-75, but not positive. That one you posted above makes me think '76-77. But don't hold me to it.
At first I thought the Buick went squared off like the Cutlass in 76, but then you reminded me that was only the coupes. I had not seen a Riv in yellow before. Don't know why because I saw it on several LeSabre's of that vintage.
My son and I were walking and talking and I didn't get all the pictures I needed. As for the year I'm thinking like you that the rounded front fenders indicate the earlier wagon.
Here's another car where I thought the one picture would ID it but now I can't read the print on the radiator...
This photobucket may have larger picture with more resolution...
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC09946_zpsdc313096.jpg
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
1940 LaSalle
"Gee, our old LaSalle ran great, Those were the days!"
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Got it. Thanks both of you. LaSalle was manufactured by Cadillac and marketed as a low line prestige car. That's why it was at the All GM show.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Was out a bit this afternoon, saw a Saab 9000 CSE and an early LWB W126 - 380 SEL or 500 SEL - looked to be in excellent shape, on W140 wheels.
I'd love an old wagon like that, if the price was right (cheap, cheap).
Like this wagon? Wish I could find a good picture of it, but you can watch the video at the link.
https://www.staceydavid.com/episodes/hot-rod-station-wagon-2768
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Speaking of wagons, I'd kind of like to have, or at least see, another 1960 Country Sedan, like the one my dad had in the 90s. It seemed like the coolest old car. I never saw the car again once he sold it, and exhaustive web searching turns up nothing in the same color combo. I wonder what happened to it.
Here's a same year Edsel in the same colors:
I'd also like a W111 Universal - but they are stupendously rare, rusted like there was no tomorrow, and have a cult around them who bids them up:
I may be able to partially help you. My dad had a '60 Falcon that color, and for some probably pathological reason I remember that it was called 'Rangoon Red'.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
I cannot recall ever having seen a 1960 Ford wagon at a show or cruise-in. They must be really rare.
And a little humor making fun of the people here who always put a continental kit and the all the optional bumper guards and fender skirts on their cars ruining a great natural-looking car, there probably isn't a continental spare tire kit for the wagon, so they gave up on restoring one.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Back to the '73-77 Century wagon for a minute...I just noticed that it looks like they did change the back bumper for 1974. Even though the '73 bumper was already bulky and looked like it could take a 5mph hit, they made it even blockier for '74.
As for the fenders, I can't tell if the fender line is higher for the stacked quad light models of '76-77 than it is for the single-light '73-75 models. They both look pretty high to me at certain angles, although when viewed from the front, the stacked lights certainly give the impression of a taller, more massive front-end.
yeah that's what I'm talkin' about. Big freakin' American wagon--not some french poodle wagon. With a carburetor. With an engine that looks and sounds like an engine. But with upgraded suspension and brakes.
Rangoon red, sounds familiar. The wagon was the best color combo too, red and white with a red and white interior, and I seem to remember the seat inserts were kind of a plaid pattern.
60 Ford wagons were uncommon when new - low production year. They had a talent for rust and were heavy, which no doubt sent them to the scrapyard in the 70s. I've never seen one other than my dad's either. I remember he knew of a guy in WA or OR who had a white one with wide whites, but this was 20 years ago - have never seen it out anywhere either.
The oddest continental kit car I have seen was a 63 Galaxie convertible, looked a little off.
I've seen pics of 64-66 T-Birds and early Mustangs with them, too. Why would anyone do that?
Andre1969, grbeck, and I were at the Carlisle Ford Nationals this past Saturday and somebody actually put a Continental kit on a 1984 Thunderbird "aerobird!"
I can't even imagine.
I did come across this freakshow:
Ask, and you shall receive!!!
Here you go:
Both the Grada-bird and the Thunderbird II continental tires are really awful. The carey 84 bird is 80% awful.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Of course, this monstrosity of bad boomer taste is almost natural. The skirts are also a nice touch:
That 00's Bird is heinous, makes the 84 look classy.
Speaking of the malaise-tastic 77-79 Birds (better than an 80-82 anyway), I kind of like them if equipped right, in the right colors. A Heritage or Diamond Jubilee with t-tops would be a pretty cool piece of disco chic.
There were a couple T-birds of that '77-79 vintage at the Ford show for sale. One of them really caught my eye, because it had a 400. I think it was a '78. Now granted, by this time the 400 only put out around 166 hp, but I'm sure that by then, most were just 302 or 351 cars. This one was fairly modestly equipped, too. Crank windows, not a whole lot of options, but it had a nice cloth interior. Probably just the standard cloth, but it was pretty classy, I thought. The car was white with a burgundy vinyl roof that didn't cover the rear side windows, and a burgundy interior.
I was out driving the Interstate today and saw a Crown Vic and a Cadillac DTS with Vinyl tops. Not very pretty, but maybe gorgeous compared to some of those continental kit shots here
When I met my wife she had a '78 Bird Town Landau (stainless steel roof hoop, velour interior, etc) with the 400. You're right that it wasn't especially fast, but it would go over Tejon pass northbound on I-5 out of LA without noticing that it was going uphill. Believe me, the diesel Rabbit I had at that time couldn't do that.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Aaagh! Change it, Butthead! Change it!
My memory of the 77-79 Bird goes back to my 2nd grade teacher, who I liked, having one. I remember the car was kind of a copper color, maybe a positive association. I don't recall it being a fancy model, but I probably couldn't tell the difference then.
_the 400. You're right that it wasn't especially fast, but it would go over Tejon pass _
I believe that. Those old Ford OHV V8's tended to have pretty strong torque.
You know, that T-bird convertible actually looks kind of good to me!
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Looks like a base model when it comes to chrome and add-on parts on this puppy.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,