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

bhill2

Mr_Shiftright said:

True up to a point but really I haven't observed that instant need gratification makes people deliriously happy. Nor, of course, does endless struggle.

Ooh, ooh....I'm pretty sure I spotted a Nissan Patrol today but I couldn't swing around to get a closer look...pretty sure though.

Shifty, I hope that you realize that you and I are two of the few people on this forum 'seasoned' enough to recognize that "Ooh, ooh" reference.

stickguy

Joe Ross?

Michaell

I was thinking more of Horshack from "Welcome Back, Kotter"

pjm83

bhill2 said:

Shifty, I hope that you realize that you and I are two of the few people on this forum 'seasoned' enough to recognize that "Ooh, ooh" reference.

Welcome Back, Kotter?
I missed that there was a reference there until you said anything.

Anyway, I caught sight of a fox body LTD wagon on the way to work. I've already had my daily serving of patina now.

stickguy

I guess I went back too far for you kids, all the way to car 54, where are you? Joe e. Ross played the character named "Toody". His trademark bit was saying "ooh ooh"

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, with Fred Gywnne....who became a Munster but was actually a very good actor.

kyfdx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yeah, with Fred Gywnne....who became a Munster but was actually a very good actor.

I am too old... I thought of both of them..

Mr_Shiftright

Well no matter...every generation needs it's "secret" in-jokes and pop culture references and, surprise surprise, the type of cars it likes.

andre1969

Mr_Shiftright said:

Well no matter...every generation needs it's "secret" in-jokes and pop culture references and, surprise surprise, the type of cars it likes.

berri

Love pop culture. It makes you realize that there can be a tendency to focus on the bad, when really there was always a lot of fun too.

bhill2

stickguy said:

I guess I went back too far for you kids, all the way to car 54, where are you? Joe e. Ross played the character named "Toody". His trademark bit was saying "ooh ooh"

Not too far for me, that's who I was thinking about.

stevedebi

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yeah, with Fred Gywnne....who became a Munster but was actually a very good actor.

Car 54? I think I saw some reruns in the '60s. Before my time, I'm afraid.

Mr_Shiftright

Fred Gywnne was actually in the famous film "On the Waterfront". Also "My Cousin Vinny".

andre1969

stevedebi said:

Car 54? I think I saw some reruns in the '60s. Before my time, I'm afraid.

I mainly know it from when Nick at Nite ran reruns back in the early 1990's. I mostly remember Car 54 being a '61 Plymouth, but I'm sure that they got a new police car every season, just like the town of Mayberry did.

stickguy

Vinnie was great. "What's a Yute?"

Mr_Shiftright

"Excuse me your honor....youths!"

Spotted -- '50 Buick in the neighborhood, with a distinctly non-straight 8 sound. Must investigate further!

xwesx

Wait, is this the "I spotted an obscure classic car" or "I remember an obscure classic TV show" thread?!

Mr_Shiftright

Sometimes the classic car appears in the TV show, so there's overlap. I guess it depends on your interpretation of "spotted".

uplanderguy

When I was a kid--and I'm pretty sure I'm remembering reruns--but "Car 54" was on directly before "The Munsters". Not only was Fred Gwynne in both, but so was Al "Grandpa" Lewis.

I had AMT model kits of both "The Munster's Koach" and the "Drag-U-La", from the show.

xwesx

The old reruns I remember most from childhood are Bonanza and Hogan's Heroes. The memory that holds firmest from HH is the time when my sister wanted to talk to my father about the show, and she started it out with saying, "On Pokin' Zeroes yesterday...." My dad said, "On what?!"

Sister: "Pokin' Zeroes!"
Dad: "What is Pokin' Zeroes?"
Sister: "You know, that army show that you like where the guy at the beginning is poking all the zeroes...."
Dad: ROFL
Me and siblings: Totally baffled (we all called it Pokin' Zeroes)

uplanderguy

Here's the opening and closing credits to "Car 54", with a '63 Plymouth shown, so it must've been on a few years, anyway. "Khruschev's due at Idlewild" in the lyrics, LOL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqkcWCXTtFk

uplanderguy

Here's the opening and closing credits to "Car 54", with a '63 Plymouth shown, so it must've been on a few years, anyway. "Khruschev's due at Idlewild" in the lyrics, LOL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqkcWCXTtFk

tjc78

86-88 Delta 88 Two door.  Can't be many of those around.  

fintail

Saw a late run 944 today.

Mr_Shiftright

like those cars. Especially the 944 turbo. Real good bang for the buck there.

berri

Like the old commercials too

andre1969

I spotted what could have been the somewhat elusive 1949 DeSoto "First Series", on an episode of "Happy Days" last night. Mrs. Cunningham had forgotten to set the parking brake, and it rolled down a hill and crashed into Arnold's diner. They actually referred to it as a 1949 DeSoto; however, it was the 1946-48 style, which was also built for a few months as a 1949, until the "proper" 1949's were ready.

berri

Did it even have the roof rack?

andre1969

For this particular episode, you could only see the very front of the car where it was pushed through the wall, so I couldn't tell whether it had the roof rack or not. It was a dark blue color. IIRC, they used several different DeSotos during the run of the show. I seem to recall a blue one, a green one, and one that was blue and green?

berri

When I was a younger kid growing up, a lot of wives drove that era Mopar as the family's second car. So I'm guessing they were pretty reliable. I think the early 50's Merc's were the last of the suicide 4 doors.

fintail

I remember watching Happy Days with my dad, when I was a kid. He was of driving age during the era the show took place in, and very much into cars, he confirmed that a DeSoto Suburban would have been maybe the most uncool car possible. Good choice.

ab348

Speaking of DeSotos, earlier this week my older brother Dave (born in 1942) visited and we somehow got on to his memories of my oldest uncle, Frank, who was the only one of the relatives to have a car when Dave was a little kid. Apparently, the big thrill in those late 1940s days was for my mom and dad to take Dave with Uncle Frank, Aunt Mary and their kids in Frank's car for a day trip/picnic. Places you could reach today in an hour took 3 or 4 times longer then.

The car was a 1929 DeSoto apparently like the one in the pics below. It even had a name - "Lena", for some reason. They would all jam into the car with all their picnic stuff and set off on their adventure. Given the car was pretty old even then, it was not always trouble-free. He recalled one time when they were leaving their destination when the engine began knocking. No problem - Frank pulled over, drained the oil into something for reuse, dropped the pan, found the offending rod, and shimmed the big end with a strip cut from an old tin can! He remembered another time when they went to turn into the picnic spot, but Lena didn't want to turn. Tie rod end had broken. No problem - Frank saw a junkyard nearby, walked to it, and came back with a used tie rod end he replaced on the side of the road. He must have had quite the tool kit in the car!

fintail

Canadian DeSoto - that's obscure.

On the road tonight - clean first gen MR2, not old but odd - Yukon Denali hybrid.

berri

Do you think that's a red '60 Desoto or Chrysler next to the old 29?

fintail

Today in the sun - decent enough early Ford Courier, very clean mid 80s Z-car, very clean 240Z, immaculate looking ~70 Chevelle 4 door post, neglected looking 450SL.

explorerx4

Not sure which is rarer, these or 3 of the Mercury version.

fintail

I don't get it, explorer

Went out and got the fintail this morning and fueled it up - as the station was a pristine W221 S600 - these were rare to begin with, and will have a lower survival rate due to the bleeding edge tech. This one looked new, which is saying something now as the newest ones are over 10 years old.

explorerx4

A little tough to see, but 3 bobcats walking along the rock border.

stever

The third one on the rocks is really hard to make out.

texases

Now I see 'em. I thought they might have been wild pigs, and you were making a comment about some of Mercury's past offerings...

fintail

Ah there we go. Too bad there wasn't a horse in the yard too

Was out on the road in the old car, saw that same V12 MB (W220, typo), a powder blue 70s Beetle convertible, and a real rarity, a Citroen Traction Avant.

explorerx4

@fintail,
Nope, horse is in the barn getting the battery charged.

fintail

Nice. You need to give it a good detail and show it off

explorerx4 said:

@fintail,
Nope, horse is in the barn getting the battery charged.

andre1969

berri said:

Do you think that's a red '60 Desoto or Chrysler next to the old 29?

It's a '60 Chrysler, but I can't tell which model. The DeSoto looks almost identical, but the one telling detail is the turn signal. On the DeSoto, the lower part of the grille flared out underneath the headlights and the turn signals were worked into it, vaguely like a '77-89 Dodge Diplomat or '82-89 Gran Fury. On Chryslers, the turn signal was separate from the grille.

fintail

In the rain tonight - a nice looking early W126 of unknown model, and an old probably 70s era Mini - maybe not the best car for rain and dark.

stickguy

an early Civic. I think about a 1984. Low level 4 door in light blue. Looked so tiny!

xwesx

I didn't spot these, but this was a fun read (notwithstanding the prevalent typos).

stickguy

Ok, that was some cool stuff. I guess there are some pluses to living in SOCAL!

stickguy

Out driving around, a mid50s Ford PU. Curved windshield (1piece). Look either original or rat rod style. Didn't get a close look.

And likely much rarer, a must be running (it was parked at rite aid) a mercur XR4ti. Haven't seen one on the road in ages.

lemko

Spotted this 1956 DeSoto Sportsman sporting Chrysler taillamps making a right turn onto Cottman Avenue from Rising Sun in NE Philly on my lunch break. The side trim is the giveaway.