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

kyfdx

fintail said:

Yep, a repainted 80s era MB ends up with like a 40% price reduction just for that. And if it has non-stock radio and wheels, the cultists won't even look at it. I am kind of guilty of the same thing. Big turn offs to us OCD types.

The '83 380SEC had aftermarket wheels. Correct size, it looked like, but still..

Mr_Shiftright

Worse yet, a Mercedes with wire wheels.

roadburner

I'd take a Marauder X-100:

berri

I like that one roadburner! Underappreciated car and neat styling for the time. Really like the greenhouse and rear end styling on them.

uplanderguy

I always liked the '69 and '70 Marauder X-100! Even the flat-black decklid area! Nice bucket-seat interior. Boy, they are rarely seen around here anymore--but then, I can't tell you the last time I've seen a '69 Mercury of any model.

Mr_Shiftright

Cheap to buy "muscle car"....if you can find one.

stickguy

There is a metallic electric blue one (not factory paint) a few miles from my house. I used to drive past it's house a lot. Assume it is still there. Also used to see it out front of a local lube shop on occasion.

ab348

Yep, that's the car I had the hots for back in '69. Looks really huge by today's standards but I always thought they were great-looking cars, still do.

Mr_Shiftright

That's not an optical illusion. It IS huge.

fintail

On the highway today saw a nice gold 300CD near Augusta, a 70s era Toyota pickup still moving along, and a facelift Bronco II. Not as many old cars on the road in SC, I think the sun destroys any cosmetics, and the salty air near the ocean can't help either.

fintail

The only wheels tolerated by the cult are period aftermarket (AMG, Centra, etc), or maybe W140 style, which seem to have made it onto a lot of 126s back in the day.

And wire wheels, I have seen those on more than one 107. Bad idea - the purists will hate it, it looks odd, and the maintenance can't be fun.

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

Yep, a repainted 80s era MB ends up with like a 40% price reduction just for that. And if it has non-stock radio and wheels, the cultists won't even look at it. I am kind of guilty of the same thing. Big turn offs to us OCD types.

The '83 380SEC had aftermarket wheels. Correct size, it looked like, but still..

ab348

Another M-B sporty car, a bit newer than the previous. These were always good-looking to my eye and this one is especially nice. Lovely colors.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-mercedes-benz-sl-2/

stickguy

oh man, I love that one. The colors are great, and the stick sold me. Not that I need it. And now, I will spend another 1/2 browsing BAT.

I did last week, and they had a V8/6 speed stick Volvo 740 running. Going cheap at the time. I seriously thought about that one, but knew I would be in way over my head with a bad engine! But man, I always wanted one of them too. Wonder what that one went for?

and, here it is! Went for $2,400. A bargain for what it has, assuming you have a spare engine laying around and talent to do the swap. even farming that out and still a lot of fun for not much money.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-volvo-740/

fintail

5-speed R129 is a relative rarity, and under-appreciated. They aren't worth much yet, but rarer ones easily could be in the future.

Mr_Shiftright

I dunno...I wonder....it's not really a stick-shift kind of car. It's a GT car. However, I wouldn't mind having that one if it passes my local MB mechanic's rigorous inspection. Never driven the manual trans version so can't say if it would be pleasant or not.

sda

fintail said:

On the highway today saw a nice gold 300CD near Augusta, a 70s era Toyota pickup still moving along, and a facelift Bronco II. Not as many old cars on the road in SC, I think the sun destroys any cosmetics, and the salty air near the ocean can't help either.

You're right, rust isn't much of an issue unless the car is kept near the ocean or similar areas. High mileage is the real culprit, cars mile up and just wear out. Sun does destroy the paint, interior, especially soft parts, but there are plenty of ratty paint dull, interior worn cars driving around and still running well.

fintail

I was out and about in Charleston today for about 6 hours, and saw zero cars of note. The good ones must be stored in garages. I have noticed mid-00s era cars already with destroyed clearcoat and failing paint - the sun at work.

sda said:

You're right, rust isn't much of an issue unless the car is kept near the ocean or similar areas. High mileage is the real culprit, cars mile up and just wear out. Sun does destroy the paint, interior, especially soft parts, but there are plenty of ratty paint dull, interior worn cars driving around and still running well.

fintail

Come to think of it, I did see something odd today: a customized Ford Aerostar. Really odd thing, iffy looking green paint job, wheels, maybe lowered a little. Someone must love it to have put work into a not exactly cherished vehicle.

fintail

On the road in SC today, saw an unrestored looking 57 Bel Air 2 door HT and a ~60 Corvette on 70s style mag wheels out for a nice Saturday drive. Highlight was seeing a stock 32 Ford V8 5 window coupe on the highway near Hilton Head - not something you see every day. Saw a nice W123 in Savannah too, and a very clean - especially for this area, ~90 Trofeo.

fintail

Noticed a decent looking original (not donk'd) 75-76 Caprice 4 door HT slumbering under a carport in Savannah today. Not a ton of those left, especially in this climate.

sda

fintail said:

Noticed a decent looking original (not donk'd) 75-76 Caprice 4 door HT slumbering under a carport in Savannah today. Not a ton of those left, especially in this climate.

Sounds like a great trip, Atlanta, Charleston, Savannah. Did you see much damage left by hurricane Matthew?

uplanderguy

My favorite Savannah thing was "The Old Pink House" restaurant!

stickguy

A new looking model A. Rumble seat convertible. On the back of a flatbed on I84 in Connecticut.

stickguy

And at a garage near me, a ratty original looking 1974ish Chevrolet 2 door. Looked too plain to be a Laguna S3, but could have been missing striping. I always liked the way they look

sda

I liked the Laguna as well, with it's soft color keyed bumper instead of the large chrome bumpers that were on the Malibu. Also liked the Grand Am with its soft nose, though it did have a painted bumper as part of the assembly. Olds did a neat trick to try to hide the big bumpers by having the grille meet the bumper. The grille was hinged so that it would move out of the way and pop back into place after a minor impact.

uplanderguy

In '75 and '76, the striping was optional on the Laguna S-3. The '74 had the flat front end and the '75 and '76 had a sloped front end. Of course you could be right about it being a '74 with striping removed, but all '74's came with striping as standard equipment.

stickguy

I think it was a normal model with chrome grill. If I drive past again will take a closer look.

roadburner

I like the slope nosed S-3s. GM had some interesting intermediates in that time period- Grand Am, Cutlass Salon. I was already partial to European cars by then but those models intrigued me.

uplanderguy

My friend is selling a 1974 Chevelle Malibu Colonnade Hardtop Coupe on eBay as we speak--22,089 miles; no radio; six-cylinder. I haven't seen one in these parts this rust-free in probably 25 years, if not more. The interior is nearly new-looking too, although it's the basic interior that is similar to what the 'Deluxe' model was in '73.

sda

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Chevrolet-Chevelle-/222311214592?forcerrptr=true&hash=item33c2c7ee00:g:TlgAAOSwNRlYJKSe&item=222311214592

I think this is it. Could use a detailed cleaning. Couldn't the goo be removed to give a better representation?

stickguy

Interesting. I would not want it like that. But nice base for a restomod. Crate 350, 5 speed stick, nice bucket seat interior, upgrade suspension. The basics, but keep body stock.

Mr_Shiftright

Well as the amount of effort to present the car goes up, so do the bids...in this case, not so much of either.

roadburner

My GM restomod candidate would be a 1986 Monte Carlo SS with a beefy V8, six speed, and discs at all four corners.

stickguy

Make mine an el Camino instead. Same basic car. But cooler.

fintail

Not much hurricane damage in Savannah or Charleston proper, but still a lot of downed limbs at Hilton Head and Tybee Island, and numerous cleanup trucks working even today. I am in St. Augustine now, took 1A1 here from Jacksonville, maybe some damage right on the coast too, or maybe just neglected buildings - if one is away from the wealthy developments, it can look kind of rough.

On the road a bit today, highlight was a Sir Mix A Lot style (as I call them) LWB W126 - Centra wheels, SL style grille star, spoiler, still cruising down the highway. Also saw a late model Caddy hearse on a car carrier, an old Beetle, unrestored ~66 Mustang with a 289 emblem, weathered but still moving early 80s Delta 88, and definitely the oddest thing: what I guess was a turn of the century Camaro with a 57 Chevy conversion kit. Just like this:





I couldn't find words for it.

imidazol97

fintail said:

Not much hurricane damage in Savannah or Charleston proper, but still a lot of downed limbs at Hilton Head and Tybee Island, and numerous cleanup trucks working even today. I am in St. Augustine now, took 1A1 here from Jacksonville, maybe some damage right on the coast too, or maybe just neglected buildings - if one is away from the wealthy developments, it can look kind of rough.

On the road a bit today, highlight was a Sir Mix A Lot style (as I call them) LWB W126 - Centra wheels, SL style grille star, spoiler, still cruising down the highway. Also saw a late model Caddy hearse on a car carrier, an old Beetle, unrestored ~66 Mustang with a 289 emblem, weathered but still moving early 80s Delta 88, and definitely the oddest thing: what I guess was a turn of the century Camaro with a 57 Chevy conversion kit. Just like this:





I couldn't find words for it.

I don't this word when used for a normal car, but this is a customized model. I saw one for a ccouple of summers around this area.

Monstrosity is my word. My reaction is "why"?

Mr_Shiftright

Looks like a kid glued together two of his models. Never leave car design to someone who is taste-deaf.

berri

Hmm, seems to maybe blend some Camaro convertible styling cues. Different, that's for sure.

Mr_Shiftright

Might have been designed in prison.

uplanderguy

That is the car my friend is selling. It is covered in cosmoline underneath, which is no doubt what helped preserve it, even with that low mileage. He has a lift in his garage, and the underneath is just covered in it. But the doors close well (and they're enormous; those always started sagging). I like the large triangular quarter windows, which really open up the interior, but the Malibu Classic interior is so much nicer even though I don't like the opera window on a fastback roof which the 'Classic' had. I always wished the Malibu Classic could have been had with the triangular quarter windows.

My friend bought this car only maybe a month ago...bought to resell.

In '74, it always seemed to me that there should have been a model between the Malibu and the Malibu Classic. As it is, it was about equivalent to jumping from a Bel Air to a Caprice Classic, with no Impala model in-between.

Mr_Shiftright

Quite a task to clean that up. Maybe he's right to try it as it is.

ab348

All that goop on the undercarriage - not cosmoline, more like "grease & graphite" - makes it a real a mess down there. These weren't known for frame rust as much as body rust, and that doesn't help that problem much except for the floors. I think you'd need steam cleaning or power washing with a degreaser to get it off, and who knows what damage doing that would cause.

It's weird how Chevy trimmed that model. The door panels aren't bad at all, but the seats are taxicab-plain and not attractive at all. I always found that cubbyhole on the left side of the dash on these strange. I guess that is where an A/C duct would be located if the car came so equipped?

I found very few of the Colonnade models attractively styled. All were too big on the outside and too small in terms of usable space. The last 2 years of the Cutlass and Regal coupes were OK, but the 4-doors in any line did nothing for me. I didn't care for the Malibu styling in any year except for the slant nose Lagunas. Even though I had a '77 LeMans, I found the blunt nose and tapered tail strange. Should have been the other way around.

uplanderguy

Around here, those Chevelles really rotted-out around the rear wheel openings. That car is rock-solid there.

RE.: Cubby hole in dash--that is where an A/C vent would be. On the '73's it was just a cover of black-crinkle hard plastic there.

Those door panels have the strip of fake woodgrain, but they are hard plastic right up to the glass.

I always liked the way those cars looked, and I thought they drove and rode better than the full-size Chevys, but I'd look for a '73 V8 if I could find a nice, authentic or original one. I much-prefer the round taillights, better colors IMHO, and smaller rear bumper.

berri

...and three on the tree

explorerx4

@fintail,
Those '57 Camaro's look like something out of Alice in Wonderland or White Rabbit.

berri

...off with your head Explorer

fintail

Spotted a 70s VW Transporter pickup pulling a little trailer. It was in the right lane, of course (lane discipline here isn't too bad - it's in the cities where people become idiots).

Even worse, saw an original Scion xA pulling a pop up camper. That poor car didn't look like it was having a good time.

People down here have some kind of fetish with towing things, same all over the south maybe.

sda

People down here have some kind of fetish with towing things---easy now Where are you headed next? Sounds like you're covering a lot of ground, hopefully having a great time.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

Spotted a 70s VW Transporter pickup pulling a little trailer. It was in the right lane, of course (lane discipline here isn't too bad - it's in the cities where people become idiots).

Even worse, saw an original Scion xA pulling a pop up camper. That poor car didn't look like it was having a good time.

People down here have some kind of fetish with towing things, same all over the south maybe.

I bought one of those brand new. They are great little cars, kind of forerunner to the CUV, but way down on power. They were wound tight at 75 mph, probably due to low gearing.

Michaell

Mr_Shiftright said:

fintail said:

Spotted a 70s VW Transporter pickup pulling a little trailer. It was in the right lane, of course (lane discipline here isn't too bad - it's in the cities where people become idiots).

Even worse, saw an original Scion xA pulling a pop up camper. That poor car didn't look like it was having a good time.

People down here have some kind of fetish with towing things, same all over the south maybe.

I bought one of those brand new. They are great little cars, kind of forerunner to the CUV, but way down on power. They were wound tight at 75 mph, probably due to low gearing.

My daughter and I test drove one before we bought the ION for her to take to college. The lack of cruise control was a deal breaker, given that a majority of her 100 mile drive to school was on the interstate.