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

texases

Well, it's confusing: "As originally conceived, the Judge was to be a low-cost GTO, stripped of features to make it competitive with the Plymouth Road Runner. The package was US$332[14] more expensive than a standard GTO, and included the Ram Air III engine, Rally II wheels without trim rings, Hurst shifter (with a unique T-shaped handle), wider tires, various decals, and a rear spoiler." So maybe it was cheaper than a GTO with that engine??

stever

Model A Ford, four door, guess it may have been a Tudor Sedan. Tooling around in the old historic town of Mesilla that adjoins Las Cruces.

texases

Four door = "Fordor"

Mr_Shiftright

Still a gazillion Model As on the road. Fun car to play with. I like the Town Sedan the best.

ab348

texases said:

Well, it's confusing: "As originally conceived, the Judge was to be a low-cost GTO, stripped of features to make it competitive with the Plymouth Road Runner. The package was US$332[14] more expensive than a standard GTO, and included the Ram Air III engine, Rally II wheels without trim rings, Hurst shifter (with a unique T-shaped handle), wider tires, various decals, and a rear spoiler." So maybe it was cheaper than a GTO with that engine??

Those trim rings must have been an expensive option then... I remember when it was introduced being confused by this very point. Was it a bargain GTO or a premium GTO? It seemed like Pontiac was issuing mixed messages themselves but in the end I think they decided it would be a premium model. It certainly created a real buzz at the time.

uplanderguy

http://www.gt-37.org/

Of course, this is after the tiger tie-ins.

fintail

A couple of pics from this year's Seattle area MBCA gathering - a good variety was present this year, you'll spot my car, too.

magnette

Nice range of cars there fin...

magnette

We've just come back from nine days in Denmark - not the easiest country to visit financially at the moment for us Brits thanks to the Brexit fiasco, but still..

Saw a few old cars in daily use or at the weekend - couple of MG's - sixties Midget, 70's chrome bumper MGB and a glorious MGA - the young lady driving it was easy on the eye too..

Also a Mercedes SL190 and what made me laugh was a 70s SL going along with a pedal car MB 190 roadster on the rear boot lid like a lifeboat.

Also an XX140 and several Volvos - mostly Amazons but a couple of PV544s as well.

Also found two old cars abandoned by the roadside in one little village - they had been there for years with vegetation growing through them but although I could identify the first as a Ford A type (or possibly the B type ) the other which was smaller stumped me. I'll post some pictures in day or two.

In a dealers showroom on the way to the airport we saw a thirties British Ford Y type, a 60's MkII Cortina and a 1950s Tempo three wheeled truck but didn't stop as it would have involved a u-turn or something which would probably have been hairy - the hire car was a Nissan Qashqai - we only wanted a Ford Fiesta - and although I am ok with the LHD after a few kilometres I try to avoid anything unorthodox.

We also found a fabulous car museum but more of that when I get the photos off my phone.

berri

I believe Sweden has a very large old car show with many old US makes every year. Can't recall where, but old Detroit iron is popular there.

fintail

The Swedish show is the "Power Big Meet". Old American cars are a big thing in northern Europe, especially Sweden, where they have their own kind of rockabilly sub-culture. It's funny how old cars can thrive in socially-engineered nanny-states where driving an old vehicle would make one a pariah according to many, but I guess that's mostly an outside of the city thing.

fintail

It was a variety - everything from a W187 220 to a a super-rare 190D Ponton Binz wagon to a RHD 190SL to a CLK Black Series to an SLS.

magnette said:

Nice range of cars there fin...

ab348

Took the Cutlass out today to an event that I had not been to before. In the suburbs not too far from me is the property of a fellow in the excavation/contracting business who is also into cars. His property is interesting, probably originally built in the '80s and then expanded over the years as it is on a large piece of land. There is the main house, with a large plot of well-landscaped grounds and a nice swimming pool. On the other side of the wide driveway that surrounds the house is a 4-car garage where some of his own cars live. Then there is another building that appears to have been moved from its original site, an old tourist cabin or small motel sort of thing that was used today as a cookhouse to feed the throngs of people along with washrooms. Then a large industrial building that may well have been his original work equipment shop but which is now used for his personal collection, compete with lift and loft. This event is a fundraiser for the local SPCA and attracted about 200 cars and a large number of visitors.

Some really interesting cars there today that I had not seen around here previously. The host had among his own collection an early T-bird and a '66 Galaxie 7-Litre - he is a Ford guy.





There were too many other cars of note to list, but they included an absolutely pristine restored '63 Porsche 356, a remarkable early '70s Jag XJ6 coupe that was modified with a Chevy V-8 (complete with cast "Jaguar" valve covers) and a rear 3-window section from a '57 Olds or Buick coupe that looked like it was born that way, an exceedingly rare '70 Olds 4-4-2 W-30 convertible, various and sundry restored or resto-modded muscle cars, and a bunch of the host's Ford friends with their restored to original '50s and '60s models. For those with cars participating, the entry fee got you some decent sponsorship goodies, free ice cream, free food including a pig roast, and discounted prices on beer and drinks. It was a lovely weather day to boot and a good time was had by all.

If this was the last event for me and the Cutlass, it was a good one.

Mr_Shiftright

Norway is particularly muscle-car crazy.

Mr_Shiftright

Saw a couple of interesting cars yesterday:

1969 Firebird 350 Convertible



'29 Ford "Highboy" Roadster with blown 392 Chrysler Hemi

stickguy

If that Firebird has a 4 speed, I want it bad.

tjc78

Great color on the Bird.

ab348

There were a pair of '68 Firebirds with the 400 engine at the show I was at yesterday, hardtops though. Looked great on the outside. What struck me was how low-rent the interiors looked - I think they were equipped with standard interiors and not any upgrade package. Vinyl seats with embossed "seams" instead of stitching, really ugly-looking fake wood on the consoles, sort of a dark burl pattern that just looked bad even though these were restored cars. Surprised me.

fintail

The 7 Litre caught my eye, those are pretty rare cars and maybe somewhat under-appreciated.

Mr_Shiftright

stickguy said:

If that Firebird has a 4 speed, I want it bad.

Nope, just a 3-speed automatic (sigh). But it had factory AC! Needed a few things and the engine bay needs a massive detailing in order to match the exterior. Underside isn't restored either.

Mr_Shiftright

ab348 said:

There were a pair of '68 Firebirds with the 400 engine at the show I was at yesterday, hardtops though. Looked great on the outside. What struck me was how low-rent the interiors looked - I think they were equipped with standard interiors and not any upgrade package. Vinyl seats with embossed "seams" instead of stitching, really ugly-looking fake wood on the consoles, sort of a dark burl pattern that just looked bad even though these were restored cars. Surprised me.

Well they were kind of a budget car. The interior design was new for 1969. I always thought it was odd that GM went through the trouble of a one-year exterior and interior re-design, althought '69s are still considered 1st Gen Firebirds.

You can tell the interior on this car wasn't expensive. It's all original, and even though garaged there's a fair amount of cracking and shrinkage.

Mr_Shiftright

Here's one I looked at today. It's a '65 Mustang K code hi-po 271, 4-speed. Pretty nice car. I graded it about a Two Minus. I thought the price was a bit of a bargain at $20K. I'd have estimated about $25K. But if you weren't a local buyer, and you threw in shipping costs and a few things that needed correction, probably....well, still a few thousand to the good.

stickguy

I would happily trade the AC for a clutch. Last thing I would be interested in on one of those is AC>

Mr_Shiftright

Those with sharp eyes will spot incorrect alternator, intake and exhaust manifolds, distributor, fuel filters (and if you could see it, carb). Seller has all the old stuff.

You can always spot a K code car by the crankshaft damper, which is 1 & 3/4" and doesn't fit on a stock 289. Also various head stampings, valve springs, inner fender stamp, VIN stamp on oil filter boss.

stickguy

I would have gone 20K on that Mustang. I am a sucker for green.

texases

Not all that much different from a well-optioned K code and a Shelby 350, is there?

Mr_Shiftright

It ran great and pulled nicely. The only thing I would change on it would be the Flowmasters--the exhaust is too loud and coupled to a 3.50 diff, would annoy me at freeway speeds. Car had frame stiffener, so it handled credibly well for the vintage.

berri

Nice color combo

Mr_Shiftright

It was a good buy for someone.

ab348

Very few Mustangs of that era interest me, but I like that one.

berri

I was always surprised that I didn't see more dark green Mustangs back then given the Triumphs and MG's in racing green that were not uncommon in those days.

stickguy

The Bullit look was always my favorite

berri

Yeah, and it was a fastback to boot. Personally though, I was always partial to the early Mustang convertibles, but liked the hardtops on the 69. But I don't think there was any body style that wasn't sharp on the 60's Mustang's in most any color.

sda

I had a friend that had his mom's '66 Mustang convertible, 200 six, auto, that she bought new. He also bought a used '66 convertible with the 289, auto, disc brakes and pony interior. Both were well used and rattle traps. Lots of body shake and quivers. The doors and windows rattled easily over even modest bumps. Were they all like that?

sda

I saw this '68 Cutlass S, Saturday, at an office supply store when picking up an office chair for my wife. It is in fair-good shape, driver quality. I haven't seen that olive green color in quite a while, though it was fairly popular at the time.

ab348

Interesting to see a '68 convertible in everyday service like that. I see the owner has a 4-4-2 bumper and exhaust tips installed like I did. I think that color is called Jade Gold.

texases

sda said:

I had a friend that had his mom's '66 Mustang convertible, 200 six, auto, that she bought new. He also bought a used '66 convertible with the 289, auto, disc brakes and pony interior. Both were well used and rattle traps. Lots of body shake and quivers. The doors and windows rattled easily over even modest bumps. Were they all like that?

Yep, first gen Mustangs were cheap cars that just happened to look great. My '65 was a rust bucket, too (as were any that saw salt). The convertibles were particularly flexible. A 'rotisserie restoration' job had to take care, the body would bend when rotated!

The '72 Duster that replaced the Mustang was built like a tank, relatively speaking.

uplanderguy

This is probably a stupid question, but I can admit it.

Is the old saw about the trunk floor of Mustangs and Falcons being the top of the gas tank, true?

texases

Yes, the 1st gen Mustang gas tank was a 'drop in' item. I had to do exactly that once, when my brother backed over a steel pole, tearing a hole in the tank. Off to the junk yard, got a replacement, swapped it out in all of an hour.

The down side: in a rear end collision the tank could rupture, spilling gas into the trunk. Even if the tank held, the rubber fill line to the gas cap often wouldn't, with gas spraying into the trunk. Add a spark and the whole car went up in flames.

ab348

Posted a story/update about my Cutlass over in Cars and Conversations. Here is the link to it.

imidazol97

I saw a fintail in an odd color at the Main Strasse street show. Paint has loss of lustre in places.

berri

Got to say that I never saw an MB in that shade. Is it burgundy or Earl Sheib

berri

I was watching the news tonight where they were talking about tornado's in the Midwest and east. I'm pretty sure I saw an old Renault LeCar on its side. Can't believe there are some still running, let alone it looked in pretty good shape.

stickguy

don't need a tornado to put a LeCar on it's side. just a stiff breeze. or a sharp turn.

fintail

Nice looking fintail, as a diesel it will be amusingly slow, too, I think these were a 55 hp unit. Nice year of manufacture plates. Color and paint could be original, MBs of the era could be specified in an enormous range of colors.

kyfdx

Dang it! I missed that show, this year.

sda

fintail said:

Nice looking fintail, as a diesel it will be amusingly slow, too, I think these were a 55 hp unit. Nice year of manufacture plates. Color and paint could be original, MBs of the era could be specified in an enormous range of colors.

I'm curious, was a/c available for the 200D? Slow just got slower..not sure it could handle it.

imidazol97

fintail said:

Nice looking fintail, as a diesel it will be amusingly slow, too, I think these were a 55 hp unit. Nice year of manufacture plates. Color and paint could be original, MBs of the era could be specified in an enormous range of colors.

I didn't look inside--I assume it was manual transmission? The color was rich, it was like the mahogany of some old furniture pieces.

andre1969

texases said:

Yes, the 1st gen Mustang gas tank was a 'drop in' item. I had to do exactly that once, when my brother backed over a steel pole, tearing a hole in the tank. Off to the junk yard, got a replacement, swapped it out in all of an hour.

The down side: in a rear end collision the tank could rupture, spilling gas into the trunk. Even if the tank held, the rubber fill line to the gas cap often wouldn't, with gas spraying into the trunk. Add a spark and the whole car went up in flames.

IIRC, all the Ford compacts and intermediates, starting with the '60 Falcon and '62 Fairlane/Meteor, had the "drop in" gas tank, although I think it stopped with the Maverick, and then when the midsized cars went to body-on-frame for 1972. I want to say that some of the unitized Lincolns had them, as well?

I don't think the Pinto's gas tank was drop-in, but it had a fuel filler that went through the cargo area, which was easily ripped off in a rear-end collision. that, and the gas tank itself was positioned too close to the rear axle, and it didn't take much of a hit for some bolts on it to go through the gas tank.

fintail

AC would have been dealer-installed, but it wasn't too uncommon, I have seen it several times. A car like that really can't spare the power, yeah, at the very least, you'd want to turn it off under hard acceleration.

sda said:

fintail said:

Nice looking fintail, as a diesel it will be amusingly slow, too, I think these were a 55 hp unit. Nice year of manufacture plates. Color and paint could be original, MBs of the era could be specified in an enormous range of colors.

I'm curious, was a/c available for the 200D? Slow just got slower..not sure it could handle it.