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

uplanderguy

That '65 Riv is delicious!

Tomorrow I'll see my friend who bought the red-on-red '63 a few weeks back. He won't have the car; we are meeting for a wake-of-sorts for a mutual friend who died last year. The get-together is at his wife's family's farm in a tiny burg in NW PA. We're looking forward to it.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I visited the Lordstown, OH plant last weekend as part of the plant's 50th anniversary celebration. Here is some local TV footage about the first car that rolled off the line there, an Impala Sport Sedan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvXe1lnQNDg

fintail

A Riviera GS like that can't be common. I still have a vague memory of that 54 Roadmaster sedan, in that it was absolutely like new, it looked flawless.

Here are some other Buick pics:

hpmctorque

25or6to4 said:

I saw a new looking white or cream colored 1968 Olds Vista Cruiser yesterday afternoon in N. Reading, MA. Also saw a Delorean on Thursday.

I also saw a Delorean yesterday. hadn't seen one in a very long time.

berri

I like the old flat tops Fin. When I was a kid, the dad of one of my classmates down the road had an old 49 Buick Woody he used as his carpenter work car. He'd drive us to school when it was really cold or storming in it. Woody's were looked down on in the fifties. Wonder what it would be worth today - I'm guessing "plenty".

Mr_Shiftright

What do you guys think about the "derelict" school of restoration?

fintail

You mean like unrestored cars, or the faux patina movement where people sand down paint to encourage rust, "age" an interior by exposing it to the elements, etc?

I like that unrestored cars are now the trend, as old finishes are interesting, and it makes less pressure to restore an old car. I also like unrenovated "time warp" houses and similar. However, the faux patina is kind of tiresome.

stickguy

still amazes me how fast car design changed back then. Mid 40s to mid 50s, then mid 50s to mid 60s. seemed like way more than 10 years.

ab348

Hey @andre1969 check out this DeSoto! Better make sure yours doesn't end up like this... ;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AluAp2s2M-0&feature=youtu.be&t=16m5s

sda

ab348 said:

Hey @andre1969 check out this DeSoto! Better make sure yours doesn't end up like this... ;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AluAp2s2M-0&feature=youtu.be&t=16m5s

That is too much!

stever

See the gas sign? 33.9 a gallon.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah but a beer was a buck

ab348

Something flaky happened with that video I posted for Andre. I originally had the link set to begin at the point where the '57 DeSoto appeared, right around the 16-minute mark, but now it just starts at the beginning. Anyway it is all fun to varying degrees. If you stay to the end you get to see them roll over a '66 Ford pickup with a slide-in camper.

fintail

33.9 a gallon, and you could buy nice detached residential houses here for 25K all day long. I am glad fuel didn't inflate like local real estate.

kyfdx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yeah but a beer was a buck

Probably a quarter..

Mr_Shiftright

I meant if you went into a bar.

berri

I seem to recall beer at 25 to 35 cents a glass when I was young, and sometimes nickel beer nights too!

kyfdx

Local joint had 35 cent, 8 oz. Schoenling mugs, as late as 1980. (what, you never heard of Schoenling? lol)

texases

Like those Little Kings?

kyfdx

texases said:

Like those Little Kings?

Yes, that's a Schoenling beer, as well.

Mr_Shiftright

You may be right. I found out that a six pack of beer cost .99 cents--although nowadays a tall glass of an "artisan" beer costs the same as a 6 pack.

explorerx4

On the street in Traverse City MI

tifighter

A guy that lives a block from me has one of these, as well as a Messerschmitt. Both red. Drives them on weekends. The Messerschmitt is beyond cool, of course.

fintail

Autobianchi Bianchina, I presume.

Today I spotted a 60s era LWB Land Rover on the road...I was going to grouse that it wasn't using turn signals, then I thought to myself that they probably don't work

Mr_Shiftright

Awwwww....... I just want to pick that car up and kiss it!

ab348

NSU?

ab348

Not really a classic, but certainly obscure: saw a Mercedes R-class parked at the supermarket. Did a double take because I had forgotten all about them. Must be the only one in town. Basically a M-B Pacifica I guess.

kyfdx

Need help identifying a car hood:

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/41345/archives/x/can-someone-help-identify-a-vintage-car-hood#latest

Mr_Shiftright

We'll need a better picture I think....but we'll see.

uplanderguy

With the point in the center of the front edge, and those scooped-out areas, my first guess is '63-65 Riviera.

fintail

I see those R-Class Pacificas here now and then, maybe every 2 or 3 days, quite a few on the road here. The one to find is the R63 AMG, I am pretty sure only about 100 units were brought over, and at least 2 of them are in my area.

tjc78

Funny the R class was mentioned. Saw an R320 CDI. That couldn't have been a popular model.

sda

fintail said:

I see those R-Class Pacificas here now and then, maybe every 2 or 3 days, quite a few on the road here. The one to find is the R63 AMG, I am pretty sure only about 100 units were brought over, and at least 2 of them are in my area.

I haven't seen on of those in a while, though we followed one on and off on our return trip from FL last weekend. It was a light silver metallic blue and looked like it wasn't that well cared for. My wife, who generally doesn't say much about cars saw it and said, that is one ugly car. LOL. A little later I point out a new Pilot and she and my daughter both hesitate and say at the same time it looks like a pregnant CR-V. Further along as we are almost home a black Audi Q5 goes by and my wife says, that is my next car! Can't fault her taste!

fintail

The diesel is probably the one to have, if one can't find an AMG. And even then, you still have to look at it. i think they sold well enough in a few metro areas, where there is a demographic who both wants a minivan, but also wants a fancy badge. It'll be a rare car in 20 years.

Worst angle on those cars, and especially the actual Pacifica, is the rear. Bloated sums it up.

PF_Flyer

This may not count s a "sighting", but it was pretty cool to see the 1911 Marmon Wasp running on the track at Indy. They ran a lap with a lot of cars from the museum. It sounded like it was running a little rough, but I chalked it up to shaking off the cobwebs after 105 years.

imidazol97

fintail said:

The diesel is probably the one to have, if one can't find an AMG. And even then, you still have to look at it. i think they sold well enough in a few metro areas, where there is a demographic who both wants a minivan, but also wants a fancy badge. It'll be a rare car in 20 years.

Worst angle on those cars, and especially the actual Pacifica, is the rear. Bloated sums it up.

I have seen one of those around this metro area. I didn't connect its morphology with the earlier Pacifica. It gave an impression of "in your face because I'm unappealing and I'm expensive." LOL

fintail

In your face due to being unappealing and expensive - describes far too many premium SUVs/CUVs today

This is definitely not a golden age for clean design.

imidazol97 said:

I have seen one of those around this metro area. I didn't connect its morphology with the earlier Pacifica. It gave an impression of "in your face because I'm unappealing and I'm expensive." LOL

fintail

Cool pic.

PF_Flyer said:

This may not count s a "sighting", but it was pretty cool to see the 1911 Marmon Wasp running on the track at Indy. They ran a lap with a lot of cars from the museum. It sounded like it was running a little rough, but I chalked it up to shaking off the cobwebs after 105 years.

stever

Geeze, too lazy to 'shop out the fencing? Slacker.

PF_Flyer

stever said:

Geeze, too lazy to 'shop out the fencing? Slacker.

The fencing is part of the "ambience"

Mr_Shiftright

You can't use that word in these forums.

Mr_Shiftright

OK, Edmunds Rangers---saddle up and help this guy ID this car!

Can You ID This Car?

xwesx

I think it's probably a '74 Chrysler Imperial four door hardtop.

Mr_Shiftright

Thanks everybody who jumped it. I think you all nailed it.

fintail

Speaking of the R-class, I saw an odd one today. A final run (2011+) facelift model, white, and it was a Bluetec.

hpmctorque

On Wednesday, a Cadillac Catera ("the Caddy that zigs"), with battered right rear fender, driven by a woman going well above the speed limit on sweeping curves on MD-495. Then yesterday, a mid-'80s (the updated V6 one) Cimmaron, parked at a Cadillac dealer. Interior and exterior looked good, except for somewhat faded paint. A good wax job would be all that would be needed to bring it back quite nicely. I have to say I have a thing for these odd duck marketplace failures, of all makes.

sda

I owned a '82 Cimarron with the 4 speed overdrive manual transmission and a '98 Catera fully loaded that included heated rear seats and electric rear window shade. The Cimarron just needed a more powerful engine (finally they gave it the V6) and the Catera was a lovely car with the exception that it always had something that needed to be repaired. I also owned a new '96 and '98 Mazda Millenia. I traded the '98 Millenia with around 30k for the '98 Catera which had been a GM exec car. I have a fondness for the less popular makes. Look at me now! I see an Accord or Pilot everywhere I go.

ab348

Took the '68 Cutlass out today for its first extended drive of the year. The annual shakedown cruise is always a bit of a nervous time after it has been laid up for 6 months but as always, everything was fine. The only issue was that about halfway through I realized I had not installed this years registration sticker (which came back in December) nor did I have the registration certificate in the car as both were still on my desk. I was nervously looking for police cars as I made my way back home.

The amazing thing for me, especially now that I have the ATS with its connected-to-the-road manner, is how vague the old car is. It has plenty of power and even though it has drum brakes they work OK for the way I drive it, but the steering and handling is close to theoretical compared to the Cadillac. You turn the wheel to take a curve on the expressway and you wonder if it is actually ever going to respond. Same way when you are in traffic at speed and want to maneuver away from someone in an adjacent lane. You really have to be careful.

As usual, got lots of waves, looks, and nice comments from passersby. Encountered a dark greenish-blue '71 or '72 Chevelle SS, nice-looking car but with an obnoxiously loud exhaust, twice in about a half-hour.

texases

Very nice!  I had the same drifts sensation when I drove my BIL's '85 Town Car. Direction only slightly related to the steering. 

stickguy

really sharp looking car. they were always one of my favorite designs.

If I had one, and had the money to do what I wanted, I would seriously consider an under the skin upgrade. Modern front and rear suspension, steering, and brakes. They make a lot of kits for that. keep the stock wheels body and interior, just make it drive like a modern car.

Mr_Shiftright

I look at a lot of 60s and 70s "restomods" and/or stock vehicles with aftermarket exhaust and it's hard for me to imagine driving some of the more radical ones for more than a half hour---especially with a coupe--the noise really get to you after a while. You can't even enjoy a conversation in the car.

Was that a "Get Off My Lawn" comment?