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

ab348

The underhood shot on that '58 kind of detracts from the rest of the car. I wonder what the undercarriage looks like.

fintail

Avanti is pretty, but that steering wheel is for a much different car. Why do that?

imidazol97

uplanderguy said:

That is indeed that very '58 Biscayne!

I really like turquoise Avantis. That one has a couple authenticity issues (to me, anyway) at first glance--steering wheel, of course, and the door panels have been reupholstered not in the correct pattern. Looks like a nice car but high, like the Biscayne.

This is just me, but on Avantis my eyes go right to the front fender. I like seeing a 'supercharged' emblem there, LOL. To me, the car looks bare without an emblem there, like the supercharged cars had.

Just saw this Avanti at a cruise Saturday night. The color looks blue on my computer but it had green in it, so I assume it's the turquoise you mention. The evening sun and shade affected the color.



And this original puppy with original engine except for a Holley on top.

berri

Nice shots Ima!

uplanderguy

That Avanti has lost its forward rake and its glass headlight covers, but I still like it. I love that '54 coupe!

uplanderguy

Avanti is pretty, but that steering wheel is for a much different car. Why do that?

I don't understand it either. The factory Avanti wheel is a nice wheel.

Magazine reviews at the time almost always commented on the true bucket seats in the Avanti. I've heard they were copies of Alfa seats. Most buckets back then were really more like a scaled-down bench seat.

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/classic-car-photogallery1/1963-studebaker-avanti-r2/1963-studebaker-avanti-r2-steering-wheel.jpg

imidazol97

The Commander in the picture was a drab green. The picture doesn't do it justice. But the shape of those Studebakers was speed, speed, speed for that era. Compare to a 53 Chevy, for example.

Whole car looked original. Seats too. I should have pic'd the interior. Owner was telling someone else the engine was original except for the large Holley on top. I don't like the wheels on it.

imidazol97

http://vid86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/MOV02195_zpsmifsx1eu.mp4

Here's an engine you won't see every day. 1918 Buick Phaeton

texases

uplanderguy said:

Avanti is pretty, but that steering wheel is for a much different car. Why do that?

I don't understand it either. The factory Avanti wheel is a nice wheel.

Magazine reviews at the time almost always commented on the true bucket seats in the Avanti. I've heard they were copies of Alfa seats. Most buckets back then were really more like a scaled-down bench seat.

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/classic-car-photogallery1/1963-studebaker-avanti-r2/1963-studebaker-avanti-r2-steering-wheel.jpg

How hard is it to get a stock Avanti steering wheel? I agree, that one looks BAD, the Avanti's is one of the nicest I've seen:

uplanderguy

I'll have to see if Studebaker International has any NOS ones in their inventory.

uplanderguy

They only have '62-64 Hawk steering wheels at $360--youch!

texases

uplanderguy said:

They only have '62-64 Hawk steering wheels at $360--youch!

Not nearly so nice

fintail

$360 for NOS? Sounds like a fair price. I am sure it would be a lot more for a MB. I expect to pay that much to have the wheel in the fintail refinished, once I find a place to do it.

uplanderguy

Well, Stude NOS was a lot cheaper when Newman and Altman, and then SASCO, owned the parts, but the current place finally has it organized, catalogued, and stored properly.

uplanderguy

Here's a '64 Avanti wheel:
https://assets.hemmings.com/story_image/405341-1000-0.jpg?rev=2

imidazol97

Look at those floor mats! I'm going to start looking inside the Studebakers and Avantis more closely for the
rest of the cruise in season here--soon to end. Those are nice.

uplanderguy

Those are aftermarket mats. Seen fairly often the past two or so decades.

The GT Hawk has a comprehensive instrument panel, I think. The '64 lost the pleats at the top of the right half and added a thick pad at the bottom of the dash on that side. I remember a mag article from the time complimenting the thick padding, as opposed to "the usual 1/4 inch used by other manufacturers".

fintail

I'm in eastern WA, lots of older stuff here. Spotted while driving: 59 El Camino, ~52 Ford 2 door post, 77-79 T-Bird, SVX, very clean Omnirizon with 80s looking hubcaps, 80s Dodge Mitsubushi pickup, some 30s-40s pickups long off the road

uplanderguy

At Hershey in the car corral, was a light turquoise metallic '65 Chrysler Newport convertible, bench seat, 4-speed! Got talking with the owner, and he said that earlier at Chryslers at Carlisle, he saw an older guy looking at the car, talking to his wife, looking again, and then saying, "I sold this car new at (fill in the blank) Motors in (fill in the blank), PA". Sold new not far from where the current owner lived in PA.

Amazingly, not a customer order--Chrysler dumped this on the dealer! Salesman said he and the dealer owner were nervous and after about six weeks, a guy came in saying his Chevy dealer was jerking him around for three months on a car he'd ordered; did they have any four-speeds? He bought this car. The salesman still knew the guy and put the current owner in touch with him. I love stories like that.

ab348

^^^ Cool story. White interior? I love the '65/'66 Chryslers.

uplanderguy

Turquoise vinyl bench seat.

'65 and '66's are my favorite Chryslers too. The '63 and '64 are among my least-favorites!

You could almost expect a 4-speed in a 300, but in a Newport?!

sda

uplanderguy said:

At Hershey in the car corral, was a light turquoise metallic '65 Chrysler Newport convertible, bench seat, 4-speed! Got talking with the owner, and he said that earlier at Chryslers at Carlisle, he saw an older guy looking at the car, talking to his wife, looking again, and then saying, "I sold this car new at (fill in the blank) Motors in (fill in the blank), PA". Sold new not far from where the current owner lived in PA.

Amazingly, not a customer order--Chrysler dumped this on the dealer! Salesman said he and the dealer owner were nervous and after about six weeks, a guy came in saying his Chevy dealer was jerking him around for three months on a car he'd ordered; did they have any four-speeds? He bought this car. The salesman still knew the guy and put the current owner in touch with him. I love stories like that.

Did the '65 Newports also have the headlights with glass covers like the New Yorker and Imperial? I always liked that look along with hidden headlights.

uplanderguy

No, the Newport didn't have the headlight covers. One thing I always liked about '65 New Yorker taillights was they had red bulbs and clear lenses...rather ahead-of-the-time. One thing I didn't like is the vinyl top only on the roof earmuffs.

roadburner

Saw a Ford Econoline pickup today; good condition with aftermarket wheels and bucket seats.

Michaell

uplanderguy said:

Turquoise vinyl bench seat.

'65 and '66's are my favorite Chryslers too. The '63 and '64 are among my least-favorites!

You could almost expect a 4-speed in a 300, but in a Newport?!

My cousin's grandmother had a '65 Fury convertible. My cousin had the good luck to drive it from NY to CA when she moved.

fintail

Driving around eastern WA, saw a forlorn ~46 Chrysler, 55 Caddy 4 door HT sitting low, a couple of clean 60s Ramblers, a couple more 40s era farm trucks used as yard art (one a Stude, I think), and I am staying with family who has a young son who just bought a 96 Grand Prix with HUD, must have been cool at the time.

magnette

Driving locally in the MG, saw a Vauxhall Cresta PC - 1966 reg. Not many of them left. It was the Deluxe version with the double headlights.

Mr_Shiftright

omarman

Mr_Shiftright said:

When I googled Vauxhall Cresta PC I got that same pic. And another pic of the same car from a front view which seemed even more Impala-like. Easy face to love.

Mr_Shiftright

Harmless enough, yes.

berri

'65 and '66's are my favorite Chryslers too. The '63 and '64 are among my least-favorites!


I pretty much like all of the 65/66 Mopars. I used to dislike the 63/64 Chrysler, but lately I kind of like their greenhouse and dash.

magnette

Yes - thats the Cresta PC - there aren't that many left now, but the one I saw was blue so there must be at least two....

fintail

I looked over my young relative's Grand Prix. Odd car - it's an SE, not a hot GTP, sitting on what I think are stock 5 spoke wheels, and plenty of body cladding with a chunky spoiler. I think it's a 3.1 or 3.4, definitely has that popcorn popper sound, exacerbated by the failing exhaust. Almost 200K on it, and has held up pretty well. It's black and the clearcoat is going, but otherwise OK. The cloth interior has held up extremely well with little apparent wear, no damage. No leaks, no fluid burning, gets OK mileage on the highway, but he says it is a guzzler in town. Strangely optioned car, with cloth and no cruise, no sunroof, but it has the fancy computer and HUD. Not a bad college runner for $850. Perhaps some GMs of that era are maligned too much.

I also learned my aunt dumped her beloved BMW E38 740iL for a late run Cadillac SRX - maintenance was never ending on the BMW, nearest dealer was over an hour away, and she didn't know any good indy shops. Definitely for the better. She says the quality isn't the same, but the reliability makes up for it.

stever

Chevy from last weekend.

toomanyfumes

A co-worker who drives an Acura just bought an early 50's Chevy like that. Bought it sight unseen several hours away. He had never driven a three-on-the-tree so I explained the shift pattern to him. He said half way home, between the manual steering, brakes, and three-speed, he wanted to sell it already. Now he's kind of getting used to it, and is happy with the purchase.

uplanderguy

I like that body style--I think called "Sport Coupe" or "Club Coupe" by Chevy then. Not often seen. I like the "Fleetline" fastback bodies the best though. The Chevy in the pic is a '50. Did they make any colors besides green? LOL

sda

I've always wondered about the huge windshield visor. I guess it was to keep the car cooler yet I can only imagine the wind drag and noise it creates at speeds over 50.

sda

fintail said:

I looked over my young relative's Grand Prix. Odd car - it's an SE, not a hot GTP, sitting on what I think are stock 5 spoke wheels, and plenty of body cladding with a chunky spoiler. I think it's a 3.1 or 3.4, definitely has that popcorn popper sound, exacerbated by the failing exhaust. Almost 200K on it, and has held up pretty well. It's black and the clearcoat is going, but otherwise OK. The cloth interior has held up extremely well with little apparent wear, no damage. No leaks, no fluid burning, gets OK mileage on the highway, but he says it is a guzzler in town. Strangely optioned car, with cloth and no cruise, no sunroof, but it has the fancy computer and HUD. Not a bad college runner for $850. Perhaps some GMs of that era are maligned too much.

I also learned my aunt dumped her beloved BMW E38 740iL for a late run Cadillac SRX - maintenance was never ending on the BMW, nearest dealer was over an hour away, and she didn't know any good indy shops. Definitely for the better. She says the quality isn't the same, but the reliability makes up for it.

The only real issue with the 3.1 was the intake manifold gasket tended to go bad, otherwise a decent engine that would go the distance. It performed better than the Ford 3.0 that was so found in the Taurus. Dad had a '95 Cutlass Cierra--his last car, and mom an '87 Taurus, so I was able to compare both.

texases

toomanyfumes said:

A co-worker who drives an Acura just bought an early 50's Chevy like that. Bought it sight unseen several hours away. He had never driven a three-on-the-tree so I explained the shift pattern to him. He said half way home, between the manual steering, brakes, and three-speed, he wanted to sell it already. Now he's kind of getting used to it, and is happy with the purchase.

Any comments from him on why he bought it? Car from his childhood?

fintail

Just that raucous engine note with certain exhaust tuning.

My uncle had a 3.0 Taurus, it puked a transmission, but I think the engine was OK. My mother had a 3.8 Taurus that never had transmission problems, but it puked a head gasket.

sda said:

The only real issue with the 3.1 was the intake manifold gasket tended to go bad, otherwise a decent engine that would go the distance. It performed better than the Ford 3.0 that was so found in the Taurus. Dad had a '95 Cutlass Cierra--his last car, and mom an '87 Taurus, so I was able to compare both.

uplanderguy

I could always hear the 2.8 or 3.1 coming without me even seeing it. I had a 2.8 Beretta GT and my parents had a Corsica 3.1. Neither of us had head gasket issues, but Dad's was sold at 41K miles (he died) and I traded mine at 74K.

Mufflers didn't last long on those cars, and that rasp got way worse as the muffler wore out, LOL.

ab348

I recall that when the 2.8 was introduced in the Citation and other X-cars, the magazines raved about it. But I never liked any of that generation of GM 60-degree V-6 engines. They all sounded ticky and reminded me of a sewing machine.

toomanyfumes

Texases, he's a fan of the events with the Rat Rod's, Pin-up type girls and Rockabilly music. He has the sleeve tattoos, now he has the car with the patina. He's actually handy and pretty sharp, the car has found a good home.

toomanyfumes

I bought a '91 Cutlass with the 3.1 from my Dad, he bought new, when I sold it it had over 100k, was a good car, the engine was trouble free. My wife drove it mostly, the dog could pick out the sound half a block away and would start barking.

stickguy

When I was a kid we had a Volvo 144. The disk brakes on that baby were always squealing. And the approach to our street (we were close to the corner) was coming downhill, so you really had to brake hard for the turn. So, any time they were coming home, you got a nice advance warning. In case you needed it! I think the dog would notice it too, but that was not a very smart dog.

uplanderguy

'75 Monza 2+2 V8 brakes were like that. I had two high school friends with those cars, and I loved the cars at the time, but I could hear either one from half a block away coming down our hill. And they were pretty new cars at the time.

roadburner

I remember that either Car and Driver or Road & Track tested one of the badge-engineered Monza derivatives(a Skyhawk, as I recall) and during the braking tests the front brakes became so hot that the plastic wheels covers melted and fell off.

sda

uplanderguy said:

'75 Monza 2+2 V8 brakes were like that. I had two high school friends with those cars, and I loved the cars at the time, but I could hear either one from half a block away coming down our hill. And they were pretty new cars at the time.

That reminds me of the brakes on my '76 Sunbird. The calipers were held in place by two pins and a round friction clip. The friction clip had the tendency to come loose and allow the pins to back out. Once that happened the pins would rub against inside of the tire rim and made a scraping ticking noise. It was an easy fix, but annoying.

roadburner

Back in the fall of 1974 my dad and I were looking for a new car to share and the Monza had just been introduced. Only one Chevrolet dealer had one with a V8-the 260-so we drove over to look at it. It was sitting in the showroom; on the first test drive it had overheated severelyso now it was just there "for display." We ended up buying a leftover 1974 Monte Carlo- the car I converted into a Q-Ship over the next few years.

uplanderguy

Those Monzas just squealed like crazy. At the time, I thought there wasn't a cooler car around, LOL. Our dealer didn't get his first until February, and I remember being stunned at the price ($4,800 sticker on the V8 with AT, PS, PB, radio, whitewalls, no A/C). In the '75 model year I never saw many at our dealer until about the very end of the model year. The '76 had a revised instrument panel that I just never liked as much as the simple panel on the '75.

As I said, amazingly, two of my best high school friends got them that year. One was orange and the other, red. Both were V8's with automatic.