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

hpmctorque

uplanderguy said:

Different topic, but my little hometown of Greenville, PA (5,900 residents in the borough) had their annual "Heritage Days" Car Show with 571 cars registered on the shady, small-town Main St. Estimates put car count at around 700, as not everyone walks down to the registration desk to register. What a wonderful show and weather was perfect. I walked up behind a maroon '65 Plymouth Satellite convertible, as I always liked those cars, and thinking "That looks just like my sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Miller's car I used to admire in the middle-school parking lot." I walked around the car and the sheet on the windshield said "Owner: Nancy Miller". She still owns it! I had her in the '69-70 school year and to my knowledge, have never seen her around town since I had her as a teacher (I moved in 1980 but still get back a couple times a year). Even in a small town, I think that's small-world stuff.

You should contact her. She'd probably be surprised, but flattered, if you did.

berri

...after thinking who the hell is this guy - just kidding! Contact her. Teacher's appreciate things like that.

berri

The Scotsman and latter Chevy Delray were extreme strippers. Never understood why Rambler shelled out for the one year 62 update. It was a little different styling, but seemed to sell well in Chicago. The all new 63 seemed a very nice and trim looking model. Personally, I didn't think the 64 update improved on it.

uplanderguy

I think the '63 Rambler Classic was a massive improvement on the '62. I like the concave front and like you, I don't think the flat-front-end '64 was an improvement. It's still pretty amazing to me that there wasn't a V8 in a Classic until mid-year '63 and no hardtop Classic 'til '64, but I will say this...anybody I've known who had a Rambler of that vintage seemed to like them.

uplanderguy

Re. my teacher with the '65 Satellite--I posted that story on Facebook and I can see that a friend of a friend of mine shared it with a man I don't know, and who was told, "Obviously some of Nancy's students remember her, but apparently her car made a lasting impression on others! Please let her know." We'll see if I hear anything back.

bhill2

uplanderguy said:

I think the '63 Rambler Classic was a massive improvement on the '62. I like the concave front and like you, I don't think the flat-front-end '64 was an improvement. It's still pretty amazing to me that there wasn't a V8 in a Classic until mid-year '63 and no hardtop Classic 'til '64, but I will say this...anybody I've known who had a Rambler of that vintage seemed to like them.

My folks had a '64 V8, and they liked it for the comfort and its long-legged cruising ability. I was a teenager then and I liked it because with its 3 speed auto it could put the hurt on a 327 / power glide Chevy off the line. Of course I had to scrupulously observe the speed limit, since at 40 or so the Chevy would get into the meat of low gear and things would start changing.

fintail

Saw an immaculate looking 65 Malibu SS in heavy traffic this afternoon, along with a couple of MB 107s, both looked like 560SLs.

fintail

Going through some old pics, I forgot about this. I took this pic close to 10 years ago, and I saw that same 55 Chevy several weeks ago, but forgot to mention it. The cars are pretty different, yet they seem to get along:

berri

65 Belvidere, not bad, but I liked the 65 Coronet version better. The single lens headlights on the Belvidere just kind of looked out of place for the times to me. But any new convertible and a young guy will be a testosterone spike.

stickguy

out on the highway, a nice looking red (I bet a repaint it was so shiny) mid 80's BMW 635 of some sort. Always liked those.

fintail

Just saw a 66-67 GTO drive by

This is likely the reason why - less than a mile from where I live. I'll try to stop by Saturday.

Michaell

Obscure? Yes.

Classic? I'll let you be the judge.

While filling the tank this morning, I saw a vega wagon drive past the station. White, seemed to be in good condition. And, the rear glass was covered, almost like it was a panel van.

Factory option or home made?

uplanderguy

There were factory Vega panel expresses made.

uplanderguy

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRAah18vEgqReMowewX_ITe-RK29kFWyZt8aRdBBmlD9zFHJPjBSA

sda

fintail said:

Going through some old pics, I forgot about this. I took this pic close to 10 years ago, and I saw that same 55 Chevy several weeks ago, but forgot to mention it. The cars are pretty different, yet they seem to get along:

Fintail is photogenic, always looks good. I like the wheel covers and white walls (though they need to be cleaned) on the '55. Looks better than the hub caps and black walls on mom's old '55. I believe it was a 210 model, pastel blue on the bottom and creamy white on the top. It was pretty basic, 6 cyl, 3 on tree, no ps/pb, am radio.

uplanderguy

That is a Two Ten model. The One Fifty had nothing at all down the side. Funny, in '56 the One Fifty had some trim down the side--started at the front and ended just under the quarter window, leaving most of the rear quarter bare. I liked that look.

fintail

Most of the time when I see a 55 Chevy, all I can think of is how many 54 buyers were taken aback by the gigantic jump that took place in a model year.

berri

Yeah, GM moved the goalposts, whereas a lot of Ford and Mopar that year was lipstick (but nice looking shades none the less).

fintail

55 Fords were pretty new, I think, but not nearly as flashy as many GM products.

Speaking of tri-Chevies, I might pick one just like this:

http://www.longbeachcustoms.com/site/1956-chevrolet-nomad-wagon-0

fintail

Forgot to mention, I saw something like this today, wish I could have snapped a pic (no phone/camera with me)...I couldn't help but stare:

uplanderguy

That is a very nice '56 Nomad.

When I think of cars that changed beyond-dramatically from one model year to the next, I always think '54 to '55 Chevy, '52 to '53 Studebaker, and '64 to '65 full-size Chevy (and I guess, really all the GM full-sizes that year). I wonder how a dealer sold a new leftover with those new models sitting next to them.

Came across this photo of a '53 Stude hardtop for the first time this morning. Looks very authentic and original and amazingly, hasn't been repainted red over the years.

https://56packardman.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/1953_studebaker_commanderstarlinercoupe_8cylinder_120hp_232-6ci.jpg

I lean towards '60's Studes, but the '53 is pretty amazing, styling-wise, when parked next to a Big Three most-anything from '53. I remember one writer saying it was like Ava Gardner next to Kate Smith.

ab348

uplanderguy said:

That is a very nice '56 Nomad.

When I think of cars that changed beyond-dramatically from one model year to the next, I always think '54 to '55 Chevy, '52 to '53 Studebaker, and '64 to '65 full-size Chevy (and I guess, really all the GM full-sizes that year). I wonder how a dealer sold a new leftover with those new models sitting next to them.

More recently, the '77 downsizing by GM of the B and C-bodies and the downsizing of the A-bodies the next year must have been interesting for dealers when dealing with leftovers, though I suspect some probably had customers who preferred the bigger, older models over the new.

uplanderguy

Excellent point and spot-on!

I'm sure you're right--you get the folks who want the newest thing first, and then you have folks who were against downsizing wanting the last of the '76's.

My parents bought a new red two-door '77 Impala in Nov. '76. I lobbied for the "New Chevrolet" as I liked what I saw. My Dad always complained about no headroom in the Monte Carlo but had no issue in the Impala. A buddy of mine used to whine that I had more influence on car purchases in our house than he did.

My mother didn't drive and didn't care at all.

fintail

I know if I went back in time and had to buy a domestic 1977 car, a downsized Chevy would be at the top of my list (or maybe a Caddy if I had a bigger budget), then maybe a Lincoln.

kyfdx

fintail said:

I know if I went back in time and had to buy a domestic 1977 car, a downsized Chevy would be at the top of my list (or maybe a Caddy if I had a bigger budget), then maybe a Lincoln.

My aunt had a '78 Sedan DeVille. It was a pretty nice car. Pale yellow, with yellow plaid cloth interior (no kidding)

fintail

When I was a kid, my dad knew a guy who had a late 70s DeVille, pale yellow with pale yellow leather. I rode in it once, and I thought it was insanely plush and comfortable, I could have taken a nap in the back.

Some B-O-P cars of the era weren't bad either.

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

I know if I went back in time and had to buy a domestic 1977 car, a downsized Chevy would be at the top of my list (or maybe a Caddy if I had a bigger budget), then maybe a Lincoln.

My aunt had a '78 Sedan DeVille. It was a pretty nice car. Pale yellow, with yellow plaid cloth interior (no kidding)

ab348

fintail said:

I know if I went back in time and had to buy a domestic 1977 car, a downsized Chevy would be at the top of my list (or maybe a Caddy if I had a bigger budget), then maybe a Lincoln.

I'm an Olds guy and if we are talking '78 I would take their Holiday 88 coupe, but that wasn't offered in '77. So I would go for the Pontiac instead, like this with bucket seats and console:

fintail

That's a nice car, esp with those wheels and without a vinyl top, and it looks highly optioned inside. I bet that's a real rarity these days.

ab348 said:

I'm an Olds guy and if we are talking '78 I would take their Holiday 88 coupe, but that wasn't offered in '77. So I would go for the Pontiac instead, like this with bucket seats and console:

sda

I'm an Olds fan as well but think the dash on the Pontiac was more attractive than the Olds, Chevy, Buick and Cadillac. Dad had a '78 DeVille D'elegance which was a very pretty car, must have been an exception, was always needing repair of some sort or another. Mom had a '78 98 Regency coupe with astro-roof, leather and the Olds 403. That was a great car and one of her favorites. Both cars were bought used 2-4 years old, so that may explain the experience that they had with the DeVille. Mom had the Olds for almost 10 years.

uplanderguy

That Bonneville is gorgeous. Love the wheels, and no vinyl top. Overall, I think I prefer the Caprice exterior and instrument panel a bit better--and not a fan of skirts--but all that said, Chevy didn't offer buckets for their car and Olds, Buick, and Pontiac did! I've said it here before, but these Bonnevilles with buckets remind me of mid-sixties full-size Grand Prixs, and that's a good thing.

uplanderguy

Speaking of '77's (well, that era of full-size GM's), at the time, I didn't like the tapered B-pillar of the new Fleetwood Brougham. I've grown to like that a lot--very distinctive. For '80 they did away with it, and the roofline more-resembled a Sedan deVille--not as distinctive IMHO.

sda

One other thing, the '78 Olds 98 with the Olds 403 ran circles around the DeVille with the Cadillac 425. I mean you could really feel the difference. Both were quiet and smooth.

fintail

Speak of the devil, I just walked down to the Pontiac show, and saw this:





30K mile original car, original paint, immaculate.

It's a GTO-themed event, never seen so many before, more Judges than I imagined. There were also Fieros and non-GTO cars. Many highly restored cars, but several unrestored cars too. A few views and highlights:



























This was a beautiful car:





Chatted with the original owner older lady of this:



Full album here

uplanderguy

I'm a big fan of the full-size Ponchos from about '64-68. That yellow Bonneville convertible has the optional buckets. Those cars, and that year's Grand Prix, to my eyes have the most-expensive-looking instrument panel of any car at that time. That 2+2 is certainly stunning, but would have black vinyl inserts in the dash no matter the color of the rest of the interior, where the Bonneville and Grand Prix would have had wood and also an assist handle above the glove box.

Although a friend says I'm a masochist for saying so, I also like the '62 Tempest LeMans, if it has the optional aluminum V8 which a website says was only 1-2% of production. I know it was used much more in the Buick Special and Skylark that year, but I like the small details of the Pontiac's styling better.

The '63 LeMans has a lot of fans, and offered the 326 V8, but there's something about that original Tempest styling that always grabbed me. Make mine a '62 coupe, maroon, with the aluminum V8.

tjc78

@fintail thanks for sharing the pictures. Some nice iron there!

stickguy

well, pretty sure that you can find more Judges now than actually came out of the factory!

I still have a strange affinity for the mid-70s downsized (Ventura/Nova) based GTO. shaker hood, 350/4 speed. Better size for my taste.

fintail

This downsized GTO was there, an unrestored car:



Also a Colonnade GTO:



The show/gathering was surprisingly big and interesting. Same venue as the Buick show I posted a while ago. Next weekend I will be visiting family, and I know the small town where they live is having a show, also, the yearly MBCA gathering is in a month, pics will come from there too.

berri

I liked Pontiacs in the 60's and 70's, as well as the downsized 77's. However, several times I looked to buy one, but could always get an Olds for less even if it stickered higher. Weird, but maybe there some real Pontiac loyalists back in those days. Nice pix's Fin!

kyfdx

How do you kill a great car brand like Pontiac?

ab348

My perception is the GM killed Pontiac through the '80s and '90s with their product and design choices. By the end there was not much different between a Pontiac and a Chevy. The boy-racer designs GM foisted on Pontiac in the '90s, with all the cliched cladding outside and crummy interiors did not help.

uplanderguy

Agree with ab348.

I'm 58. If someone had told me twenty years ago that there wouldn't be an Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Plymouth, or Mercury in a few years, I'd have told them "you're nuts". Hard to believe. For me, personally, Pontiac is the biggest loss, followed closely by Oldsmobile.

kyfdx

uplanderguy said:

Agree with ab348.

I'm 58. If someone had told me twenty years ago that there wouldn't be an Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Plymouth, or Mercury in a few years, I'd have told them "you're nuts". Hard to believe. For me, personally, Pontiac is the biggest loss, followed closely by Oldsmobile.

Well, I agree with the why part. It's just sad.

Mercury died a lot earlier than the other brands, though. They just put off pulling the plug.

ab348

Of course the billions that GM poured into the Saturn sinkhole, diverting development money and attention away from their other brands, did not help.

Dad was a Pontiac man in the '60s, owning a '62, '63, '65 and a '67. He went to Chevy for '69 (a mistake) and then Dodge for '71, and that was the end of his Pontiac time until his '78 Grand LeMans Safari, which was his last. I remember he wanted a '71 full-size Pontiac, or at least it was in consideration, but the GM strike that year meant there were few available on the dealer lots. Even the '78 still had a distinctly Pontiac feel to it, but the front-drive models that came later were pretty generic it seemed.

The only one I owned was my '77 LeMans coupe, which I liked. But I remember looking at the last couple of generations of the Grand Prix in the early-mid 2000s when I was in the market and just did not like them at all.

uplanderguy

I did like that GM still made mid-size FWD coupes longer than anybody else...Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, Regal, Lumina coupe, Cutlass Supreme.

kyfdx

My mother had a '62 Star Chief, '67 Bonneville and '71 Grand Ville. She did not like the '71, and it was gone within a year.

tjc78

@uplanderguy , the last Grand Prix coupe with the supercharged 3800 was a nice car. The interior was meh, but a buddy of mine had one all loaded up and it was fun. At the time I had a fully optioned Solara V6 and my interior was light years better but I think the Grand Pix handled better and was a little quicker.

roadburner

I'd still like to have a 1973 Grand Am or a 1977 Can Am. Swoopy styling and a halfway decent chassis. Love them.

Mr_Shiftright

kyfdx said:

How do you kill a great car brand like Pontiac?

GM wanted to put all their juice into Buick, especially in China where they have invested heavily in the brand, and they felt that Pontiac was not sufficiently differentiated from Buick---and so in the domestic market one brand took market share from another.... at least that's my theory of why they axed it.

The only other option would have been to totally redefine the Pontiac marque, perhaps back to its more "sporty" image. But really, even Cadillac is struggling to redefine itself, and I don't think GM wanted to take on two such endeavors.

magnette

This weekend went to Oxford and surrounding areas, nothing car related, and failed to take any pictures but yesterday I saw a Mercedes 'ponton' - a red 180 - in good condition and with RHD.
Also a Studebaker pick up truck - something from the late 40's or early 50's, parked outside a village garage (and sign-written accordingly). I only knew it was a Studebaker because it said so right across the tailgate... There was what I think was a GMC pick up from the same period in a front garden a few miles away but that was more battered....
This morning on the M1 got passed (big surprise) by a Mclaran Mp4 12C. (I was in my Ford FIesta..).
Also a notchback Mustang (I thought 1965 but it was going the other way so not sure, probably on the way to a show, and several 6x6 GMC military trucks - not all of them WW2 as some looked more like the ones in Mash or early Vietnam period so probably from that era - one was in what I assume was jungle camouflage. All had UK plates, but from a series reserved for imported or restored classics...

ab348

roadburner said:

I'd still like to have a 1973 Grand Am or a 1977 Can Am. Swoopy styling and a halfway decent chassis. Love them.

There was a very nice '77 CanAm at a local meetup last week. I was astounded, had never seen it around these parts before. Big car for what it was trying to be but very handsome.