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

uplanderguy

Yeah, the '60 was the last Chevy sedan delivery ('til the Vega, anyway). I can't tell you when I've last seen one of any year.

andre1969

uplanderguy said:

I like the '58 Impala, but I wish it did not have that chrome 'comb' on the rear quarter! Yuck! I could do without that piece over the rear window too. That said, proportionally, I like it better than the Bel Air that year...and of course, it has three taillights on each side.

I wonder if the Bel Air 2- and 4-door hardtops shared the same roofline, and perhaps had some commonality with the 2- and 4-door sedans...sharing the same windshield perhaps? There is something about those Bel Air 2- and 4-door hardtops that seems a bit more upright and sedan-ish. The 4-door hardtop is a bit of a compromise as well, having that spacer piece at the back that allows for a window small enough to roll down all the way.

I think these upright hardtop styles work better in the Pontiac lineup, where the lankier wheelbases and longer overall bodies helped out with proportioning.

Even though '58 is regarded as a disaster year, style-wise, I actually prefer the '58 Ford, Plymouth, and Chevy to their '57 counterparts. If I was a new car buyer at the time who wasn't brand-loyal, I think I'd have a hard time picking.

fintail

I think the car in that shot is the GTO Andre was talking about, being used as a ramp by a Mazda Cosmo.

Regarding the old Chevrolets, I like the 56 too, and also think the 4 door HT is a nice design.

berri said:

In Fintail's action shot, is that an early 70's Buick Skylark GS? Those were kind of rare and underappreciated back then.

berri

Uh Oh Fin- the headlights threw me. Closer look and it's too small. The color is similar to one available on the Buick. I done jumped the gun with my enthusiasm! I do like the Buick's of that vintage, particularly the Skylark's.

Andre - I'll go 57 Ford, 58 Chevy (although I like the hardtop rooflines better on the 57's except for the 58 Impala) and a draw on the Plymouth's on an overall basis.

Roadburner, I actually saw one of those 59's at an old car show while in Iowa. However, it was customized and screwed up on the inside :@

andre1969

I tried looking online for some other pics of that GTO and found an action shot on Youtube. Interestingly, someone there in the comments referred to it as a Buick, as well. They used that car for at least 4 seasons as a jump/ramp car...every time it appeared on the screen, you knew something was going to go airborne or flip. I'd imagine it was quite a mess from the rear, by the time it was retired. Here's that car's page, at IMCDB: http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_547699-Pontiac-GTO-1969.html

uplanderguy

Re.: the '58 Impala versus the Bel Air--I don't know the numbers, but it certainly appears longer and lower. BTW, my grandparents had a two-tone green '58 Brookwood wagon which they traded on a new '63 Bel Air wagon. The Brookwood was the next-to-cheapest wagon in '58. I can remember riding in the '58 when we got into a fender bender.

fintail

Sightings of late - W116 450 SEL, pristine first gen Cougar, might have been badged "GT"(?), early Austin-Healey, ~66 Mustang with the center grille horse emblem backlit, never noticed that before.

roadburner

There was a Cougar GT offered in 1967 and 1968. Much more common was the XR7. The Holy Grail is the XR7-G(as in Dan Gurney) of which only 619 were made...

lemko

andre1969 said:

bhill2 said:

For some reason, of the 3 years I prefer the '56. I know I am inviting being flamed, but I always thought the fins on the '57 seemed out of place. The '56 looks had a great match of style (esp. the Bel-Air) and utility.

Well, flame suit on, because I'm right there with you! The '56 is my favorite, as well. With the '55, I just don't like the too-small grille. While GM stylists would prefer you compared it to a Ferrari, and I know that was the inspiration, it also comes off looking a bit like a Nash. And something about the turn signals, I don't like. It gives the car a bit of a tired, droopy look.

I like the '56, with its forward thrusting look and full-width grille. It looks handsome, if a bit Ford-ish, in my eye. I tend to associate strong horizontal grilles moreso with Ford than Chevy, but that might be a bit revisionist, as both Chevy and Ford both did it for '56, so it's not like Ford did it before Chevy. I think I might make that association because we had a '64 Galaxie when I was a kid, and there was a junked '57 Ford in the neighborhood.

The only thing I'm not so crazy about with the '56 is the taillights. I think they're a bit tacky compared to '55. However, I like the way they're more integrated into the rear of the car, rather than jutting out as on '55.

As for '57, one reason I might not be such a fan is the car has become such a cliché over the decades, and often tend to root for the underdog. But, it seems a bit tacky and glittery compared to '55-56, as if GM was trying too hard to compete with the all-new Ford and Plymouth. Which, to be fair, is exactly what they were doing.

Of course, the 1957 Chevrolet was a superior quality car compared to both the all-new Ford and Plymouth. A lot of the revisions on the 1958 Ford were to address the weak 1957 Ford body.

uplanderguy

Of course, the 1957 Chevrolet was a superior quality car compared to both the all-new Ford and Plymouth

I think we've thrown this around here before, but a friend of mine, born in 1946 and who wrenched on cars his whole life, says that the '57 Chevy was better-built than the competition and even though Ford outsold it in '57, it tended to hold up better as a cheap used car, years later. That, and the cheap availability of hop-up parts for the Chevy V8, made it the legend it is now, in his opinion. I think it's a cliche though. I'd take a red and black '57 Fairlane 500 over it any day as a hobby car. A weak point of the '55 and '56 Chevy seems to have been corrected with the '57, and that's the headlight brows that rusted out. A guy at a car show probably twenty-five years ago pointed out the screened-in area around the headlights on the '57 which allowed air to flow in. Another friend told me that was part of the interior ventilation system of the car, but if it had anything to do with getting rid of moisture around the headlights, that problem reared its ugly head on the '55 and '56 pretty early.

I'll take the ubiquitous turquoise and white '55 Bel Air Sport Coupe, or a '56 Bel Air Sport Coupe in light and dark green. I'd LOVE! a '55 Nomad and could also really enjoy a '56 Nomad..any colors except white and black. Even the two-door sedans of that era look good IMHO.

andre1969

For some reason, whenever I think of a '55 Chevy, I think of either white over black or a solid midnight blue. With '56, I get the mental image of white over that burnt-orange/coppery color they had, and for some reason, I always get a mental image of a '57 in pink! The '58, I always picture in that silvery blue you mentioned earlier.

imidazol97

lemko said:

A lot of the revisions on the 1958 Ford were to address the weak 1957 Ford body.

How was the 57 Ford weak? I thought the 58 was similar to the 57.

I had one as a high school student. Young and naive. Transmission went out. Later traded for a Fairlane. I recall the pockets above the headlamps held mud and dirt, leading to rusting early.

andre1969

The '57 Ford's body wasn't all that sturdy, and had a lot of flex in it. I've heard stories that doors would actually pop open on rough roads and railroad crossings, but that could just be an old wive's tale. Or maybe limited to a more flex-prone style anyway, like the 4-door hardtop?

The '58 (and '59) Ford were the same basic car, but they did a few tricks to strengthen the car up for '58, such as the creases in the roof and the hood scoop. I'd imagine some internal bracing may have been added as well? The trunk opening on the '58 looks a bit smaller too, but that could be an optical illusion.

I've also heard that the transmissions in the '57-58 Fords could be weak, but the only first-hand story I know there is my great-uncle, who had a '58 and burned it up. Granddad told me that what really happened, is he got it stuck in the snow and tried to hard to rock it free.

My other Granddad, on my father's side of the family, had a '57 Fairlane 4-door hardtop, purchased new. He has fond memories of it. One of my uncles remembers driving it back in the day, and he said it was a really nice car. As far as I know, it never gave any troubles in the 4 years they had it. They traded on a '61 Galaxie 500 4-door hardtop, another car Granddad really liked.

I think it's kinda neat, on the 4-door hardtops, how the beltline, roofline, and rear window come together to form sort of an X-shape at the C-pillar.

imidazol97

andre1969 said:

The '57 Ford's body wasn't all that sturdy, and had a lot of flex in it. I've heard stories that doors would actually pop open on rough roads and railroad crossings, but that could just be an old wive's tale. Or maybe limited to a more flex-prone style anyway, like the 4-door hardtop?

Mine was a two-door post sedan with chrome over the post to emulate the hardtop model. I don't remember any flexing or door problems. But it was a sedan. My best high school buddy bought an identical 57 Ford, strong blue with white, only a two-door hardtop and 312 4-barrel engine. I don't recall his having rattles, but I think it wasn't as "tight" as mine. The windows fit for example may not have been as good because it was a hardtop.

Your picture is a great example. I also liked that reverse slant on the front of the rear door/rear window ornamentation. Loved it in the 58 Chevy hardtop as well.

Is that 58 Ford color named Desert Beige? http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?year=1958&manuf=Ford

fintail

Today spotted an XLR-V, early 80s Tercel ("Corolla Tercel"), Hyundai Excel

I like the rear window blinds on that 58 Ford.

stever

Was that Tercel a 2 door or 4 door?

berri

I always liked those 57/58 Ford Fairlane 4 dr hardtops, as well as the Fairlane 4 dr sedans (Town Sedan or something like that). They had a kind of classy look for the era. Now those venetian blinds on the back glass....

fintail

The Tercel was a 2 door.

Those blinds are very "down under" - maybe New Zealand plates on that thing.

stever

fintail said:

The Tercel was a 2 door.

Pass.

bhill2

berri said:

I always liked those 57/58 Ford Fairlane 4 dr hardtops, as well as the Fairlane 4 dr sedans (Town Sedan or something like that). They had a kind of classy look for the era. Now those venetian blinds on the back glass....

At least in the Fairlane line, the sedans were "Sedan" and the hardtops were "Victoria". The two-doors were "Club" and the four-doors were "Town". Thus the four-hour sedan was a Town Sedan, and the four-door hardtop was a Town Victoria.

uplanderguy

I've always liked '58 Fords, I think in large part because my favorite aunt drove one well into the sixties. As a kid, I always thought the forward-hinged hood on the '57 and '58 Fords was cool too. The shape of the wraparound windsheild and front door vent glass, similar to '58 Chevys, was notorious for making getting in and out of those cars a knee-cracker, although I never experienced that. But then, I've never climbed in or out of one as an adult.

isellhondas

When I was a bored 18 year old working in a gas station one summer, an older lady dropped off her 1958
Ford for an oil change.

A couple of "us" thought it would be cool to reverse her rear spring shackles.

On those Fords with rear leaf springs it was possible to stick a long pry bar into the shackle and "pop" the springs up. This would result in raising the rear of the car a couple of inches and giving the car a bit of a rake.

A couple of days later the boss and I were standing outside when Mrs. Taylor drove past in her Ford.

" Hey, did you guys pop her shackles up when you changed her oil?"

" Well, it does look like "someone" has.

As I recall she came in at some point saying her car was riding harshly and they got popped back.

That was a very popular thing guys would do back then.

stickguy

I'm sure you could do that on a new BMW or Audi. Piece of cake.

texases

stickguy said:

I'm sure you could do that on a new BMW or Audi. Piece of cake.

Yup:

stickguy

not sure what is worse on the BMW. The rake, or the awful pink wheels!

the Audi, that is oddly interesting. probably great in the snow!

kyfdx

I figured the Audi was photoshopped?

stever

Looks like a "Mook Photoshop".

berri

I saw what I believe was a big yellow 68 or so Mercury convertible with the Colony Park fake wood and chrome trim. I don't think they made those for very long, nor sold many and for good reason. Certainly not an old Chrysler T&C drop top. Also saw an early 70's Dodge Demon (Dodge version of the Plymouth Duster) in that common for the time green shade.

fintail

Spotted a neglected MB W116, no signal use, young driver. Old beast still going after 40 years.

stever

@fintail, maybe you can help this guy out. He wants an MB out of warranty (but not a classic).

fintail

I'll chime in there, no problem.

Saw a maybe 57 Corvette in traffic today, a Tempo, boat tail Riviera, a couple of 60s Continentals, Chevy Spectrum, early 80s Corolla wagon, and a local Ford dealer has a rare MB on their lot - an 09 E63 with the "P030" package - special wheels and steering wheel, LSD, 300kmh governor, special interior trim, 17K miles on it. Had I not jumped into a lease 3 months ago, I'd have considered it.

lemko

Here's one for Fintail: a 1987 Unimog spotted at the 2015 Philadelphia International Auto Show.

bhill2

fintail said:

I'll chime in there, no problem.

Saw a maybe 57 Corvette in traffic today, a Tempo, boat tail Riviera, a couple of 60s Continentals, Chevy Spectrum, early 80s Corolla wagon, and a local Ford dealer has a rare MB on their lot - an 09 E63 with the "P030" package - special wheels and steering wheel, LSD, 300kmh governor, special interior trim, 17K miles on it. Had I not jumped into a lease 3 months ago, I'd have considered it.

Fin I gotta ask; does an E63 really have to be electronically limited to 300kmh? That's about 185 mph.

uplanderguy

Saw a maybe 57 Corvette in traffic today

For purely aesthetic reasons, I've always just loved the '62 Corvette, followed by the '59-60. I haven't paid much attention to the '57's for some reason--probably because they're a "'57 Chevy"! LOL But I think I could be interested in a '56, just because it's a '56 I guess. I don't know any ways to tell a '56 from a '57 by looking. I'm too lazy to check, but my guess is a '56 is rarer as it seems Corvette sales went up every year in the '50's.

fintail

Yep. Well that's per the factory spec sheet. These cars are more about theoretical potential than actual usable performance, just like all fast cars. It's a 500+hp car with many tuner bits, I suspect it could hit such a speed in the right circumstances.

bhill2 said:

Fin I gotta ask; does an E63 really have to be electronically limited to 300kmh? That's about 185 mph.

fintail

The cars with dual lights seem a lot more modern looking than the 56-57s, and they give the appearance of sitting lower, too - maybe just an illusion based on trim. I'm not aware of differences in 56 vs 57 that are visible with the hood closed, or without FI badging.

uplanderguy said:

For purely aesthetic reasons, I've always just loved the '62 Corvette, followed by the '59-60. I haven't paid much attention to the '57's for some reason--probably because they're a "'57 Chevy"! LOL But I think I could be interested in a '56, just because it's a '56 I guess. I don't know any ways to tell a '56 from a '57 by looking. I'm too lazy to check, but my guess is a '56 is rarer as it seems Corvette sales went up every year in the '50's.

fintail

The legend. The Unimog is still in production, too.

lemko said:

Here's one for Fintail: a 1987 Unimog spotted at the 2015 Philadelphia International Auto Show.

lemko

1946 Cadillac convertible at the 2015 Philadelphia Auto Show.

lemko

1939 Plymouth four-door convertible at the 2015 Philadelphia Auto Show. A rare bird even when new.

lemko

There can't be too many of these around: 1975 Lancia Beta coupe.

fintail

Lancia is especially rare as a US version survivor with the bumper car bumpers.

The squared lights on those Plymouths always seemed futuristic to me.

stever

lemko said:

1946 Cadillac convertible at the 2015 Philadelphia Auto Show.

The color is a close match for the one in the Edmunds office.

lemko

stever said:

lemko said:

1946 Cadillac convertible at the 2015 Philadelphia Auto Show.

The color is a close match for the one in the Edmunds office.

That one appears to be a 1948 model. What's with the roof on it? Looks like a four-door sedan with most of the roof and the right "B' pillar cut away.

explorerx4

Lemko, Good eye on the cutout roof. Maybe it's been converted into a booth.

stever

It was originally cut out to be a "coffee bar" and then converted into a booth (or sofa...). Don't have a good pic of the other side.



Here's one from a YouTube (love seeing all the bikes in the office. )



Oh, the comments from the YouTube say it's a it's a 1948 Cadillac Fleetwood. The company bought it on eBay back in December 99.

imidazol97

lemko said:

1939 Plymouth four-door convertible at the 2015 Philadelphia Auto Show. A rare bird even when new.

A four-door convertible!

I like the 1950? Studebaker convertible in the background as well.

ab348

Why are writers for a car site riding bikes to work?

lemko

Here's a picture of the Studebaker. It's a 1952 Commander.

stever

@ab348, I don't think any of those desks belong to editorial, but with ~300 people on site don't ask me. There's lots of bikes around (IT, etc.) and a couple of months ago someone gave a maintenance workshop. Nice weather, not much parking, so bikes work good.

jpp75

This isn't necessarily a classic, but I continue to see a new brown TDI Jetta wagon at the grocery store here. I haven't peered in yet to see if it's a stick (if they even offer a stick on the Sportwagen?).

I'll try to get a picture one day.