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

fintail

The fintail is decent in snow for that - you don't really spin out much due to 2nd gear start (and not a lot of low end torque). Many MBs through the 90s had 2nd gear start as default.

iluvmysephia1

Roads clear in Seattle, fin? They're pretty clear here in KC after a two-inch dusting and post-snow frigid temps since then. Like 8 degrees. Ahh...the Midwest. Buggy, muggy and hot. Or cold and windy and icy. Fall is gorgeous over here in The City of Fountains.

And go Seahawk's! 

uplanderguy

jwm40517, we've discussed before here how some of us (myself included) miss those days of personally-tailoring your new car purchase, instead of paying for option group 1, 2, or 3 and paying for stuff you don't want to get one thing you do. I also miss the days of many more color choices, inside and out.

We can basically thank the imports for pushing the domestics in that direction, but I guess it does make money-sense to offer fewer choices (sigh).

As you point out, I can remember when you could 'tag team' Rally Sport onto SS on a Camaro.

I clearly remember how I never, and I mean never, saw an exact duplicate of a car on a dealer's lot--I mean, option-wise, even in different colors. Now they're all over the place.

I know all the talk about today's cars being better, but there are other ways besides choice of options and colors that make me miss those days of car shopping too.

fintail

In the city anyway, yes. It snowed for about 5 minutes here on Saturday, that was it. It is well above freezing now, and it rained all day yesterday, hopefully washing away the clingy de-icer and all of the sand, gravel, and sludge the now-overcautious authorities apply everywhere if there's even a rumor of cold weather. Probably not good vintage car weather. I suspect there's more salt here now too, as many parking lot operators will douse entire lots in salt, no doubt warding off any legal action should someone slip on ice. The salt has to go somewhere.

iluvmysephia1 said:

Roads clear in Seattle, fin? They're pretty clear here in KC after a two-inch dusting and post-snow frigid temps since then. Like 8 degrees. Ahh...the Midwest. Buggy, muggy and hot. Or cold and windy and icy. Fall is gorgeous over here in The City of Fountains.

And go Seahawk's! 

fintail

You can still find unique cars in the premium lines, especially European makes. But you will pay for it. MB often has at least a dozen possible paint colors, several interior colors, a few wood trim choices, and then the options. But that ability comes at a price.

I think Toyonda got that ball rolling, no doubt for the sake of efficiency. A few paint colors, maybe 2 interior colors, a few option packages, if you are lucky maybe wheel options, that's it. As most drivers choose a car with the same enthusiasm you or I may choose a dishwasher, it makes sense.

uplanderguy said:

jwm40517, we've discussed before here how some of us (myself included) miss those days of personally-tailoring your new car purchase, instead of paying for option group 1, 2, or 3 and paying for stuff you don't want to get one thing you do. I also miss the days of many more color choices, inside and out.

I know all the talk about today's cars being better, but there are other ways besides choice of options and colors that make me miss those days of car shopping too.

uplanderguy

You are absolutely correct. When I was a kid, my male cousins who were several years older than me, and sons of friends of my parents who were older than me, all were into cars. Even my age group, I saw that decline some and now I think besides those of us here, there are few real "buffs".

texases

Going to the Porsche 911 configurator (is that now a word?) lets you pick all kinds of expensive options. I remember 'leather covered air vents' for $500 or so...

fintail

I think the "configurator" is a German thing that is now standard here. I like the multi thousands of dollars little clock/timer stuck to the top of the dash, I always scope out late model Porsches for it.

js06gv

uplanderguy said:

We saw the movie "Hidden Figures" today, about African-American women working at NASA on the Mercury space project in the early sixties. We enjoyed it, but I've since read that dramatic liberties were taken on some major plot points in the movie. And that doesn't take away anything from their accomplishments.

Is there anybody besides me that can't stand seeing a '64 Ford police car, twice, in a scene that is labeled "1961"? I said it out loud in the theater and my wife curtly replied, "Nobody cares". LOL

I'm with you on that and it burns me up too. One that really sticks out was the reference to a "68 GTO" on a Seinfeld episode, when it was clearly a 67 and not even within the right generation of GTOs. Another thing that drives me crazy is a car appearing to be going down the road in a movie with the column mounted gearshift in Park. How hard would it have been to at least drop it down to neutral or drive if the car isn't really moving anyway?

uplanderguy

I remember that episode of 'Seinfeld'--it was the 'Bad Boy' episode, LOL!

The 'trans in Park' thing ALSO happened in "Hidden Figures", when one of the main characters was driving her '57 Chevy Bel Air down the road. Elsewhere in the movie, she shifted down into 'drive', LOL.

Mr_Shiftright

One thing you never see in movies anymore is someone with the hood open discussing why it broke down. Can you imagine the hero and his girlfriend talking: "Looks the PCM has an internal fault and isn't sending a ground signal to the ignition module at pin 35. We'll have to hitch back into town and get another one"

texases

At least that part's 'realistic', unlike the amazing ease with which folks hotwire cars, even new ones...

sda

fintail said:

You can still find unique cars in the premium lines, especially European makes. But you will pay for it. MB often has at least a dozen possible paint colors, several interior colors, a few wood trim choices, and then the options. But that ability comes at a price.

I think Toyonda got that ball rolling, no doubt for the sake of efficiency. A few paint colors, maybe 2 interior colors, a few option packages, if you are lucky maybe wheel options, that's it. As most drivers choose a car with the same enthusiasm you or I may choose a dishwasher, it makes sense.

uplanderguy said:

jwm40517, we've discussed before here how some of us (myself included) miss those days of personally-tailoring your new car purchase, instead of paying for option group 1, 2, or 3 and paying for stuff you don't want to get one thing you do. I also miss the days of many more color choices, inside and out.

I know all the talk about today's cars being better, but there are other ways besides choice of options and colors that make me miss those days of car shopping too.

I remember buying the Consumer Guide Auto edition. I think they had a buying/order service for new cars, can't remember exactly. This was around '71. I took delight in building different versions (options, colors, etc.) of cars I was interested in and finding out what the final price would be. To be 12 again!

iluvmysephia1

About the road sprinkling with salt from the road crews...I found a BP ghastly station that has an automatic carwash. OK, fine. Price? $4-$5 and $6 for the "Deluxe" treatment. Talk about affordable! I chose the $6 treatment for the bright white fright '11 Kia Soul. The wash includes undercarriage spray-off. I haven't asked what's in the local road salt kit, yet, anyway. Don't want my rolling toaster ta start rusting on me! 

sda

uplanderguy said:

I remember that episode of 'Seinfeld'--it was the 'Bad Boy' episode, LOL!

The 'trans in Park' thing ALSO happened in "Hidden Figures", when one of the main characters was driving her '57 Chevy Bel Air down the road. Elsewhere in the movie, she shifted down into 'drive', LOL.

Or the steering wheel spokes in a vertical position as they saw at the wheel to show that they are 'driving'

And when showing a race type scene the car making sounds like it is a manual transmission when it is indeed an automatic. I just watched the race scene in the 'Seven Ups 'and the Ventura that Schneider drove clearly was an automatic, yet manual vroom vroom sounds through out the chase.

ab348

sda said:

uplanderguy said:

I remember that episode of 'Seinfeld'--it was the 'Bad Boy' episode, LOL!

The 'trans in Park' thing ALSO happened in "Hidden Figures", when one of the main characters was driving her '57 Chevy Bel Air down the road. Elsewhere in the movie, she shifted down into 'drive', LOL.

Or the steering wheel spokes in a vertical position as they saw at the wheel to show that they are 'driving'

And when showing a race type scene the car making sounds like it is a manual transmission when it is indeed an automatic. I just watched the race scene in the 'Seven Ups 'and the Ventura that Schneider drove clearly was an automatic, yet manual vroom vroom sounds through out the chase.

None of those examples can top my all-time movie and TV pet peeve: the sound of tire squeal when cars are chasing each other on dirt roads.

roadburner

How about Springsteen singing about a 396 with "fuelie heads"- SBC heads on a BBC? Don't think so...

uplanderguy

Or Joni Mitchell singing in "Raised On Robbery", "He drove a '57 Biscayne", LOL.

Mr_Shiftright

Everybody thinks that Tom Waits' "Ol '55" is a Chevy but it's not--I actually asked him! It was a '55 Buick. His story was something like: 'Yeah, I bought it, put a couple thou into it, and sold it to Ace Wrecking for $50 bucks".

Nice song though.

sda

Or the need to have to brakes squeal or tires screech on every vehicle on every stop.

toomanyfumes

Amazing how many more movies that the car is in park. I always get the "nobody cares " from the wife, but it does seem very easy to notice and correct.

explorerx4

Big Joe and Phantom 309 still gives me goose bumps.
He never says what kind of truck it is, but it's probably pretty old by now.
Song is 6 1/2 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYh9OdAAaCE

berri

The Eagles also did version of Ol, 55. I always thought it was a pick up truck. You learn important stuff here! 55 Buick almost sounds too good for the situation

Mr_Shiftright

Got it from the horse's mouth!

fintail

Saw an early 90s Audi 100 today, not many of those on the road anymore. It didn't use turn signals, just like a new Audi - but it was going slow unlike a new Audi.

texases

Good chance those blinkers didn't blink. 

dieselone

Haha, that's funny. Can't remember the last time I saw an Audi 100. On saturday I saw a late 80s Conquest Tsi. Can't be many of those left either.

roadburner

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TPaOr9Z6Scg

explorerx4 said:

Big Joe and Phantom 309 still gives me goose bumps.
He never says what kind of truck it is, but it's probably pretty old by now.
Song is 6 1/2 minutes.




Red Bovine's version...

Mr_Shiftright

Red SOVINE ---LOL! He might have been a cowboy, but not THAT much.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

Red SOVINE ---LOL! He might have been a cowboy, but not THAT much.

It's not Red Sovine- it's a parody song...

tifighter

texases said:

Good chance those blinkers didn't blink. 

I had a 90Q way back in the day. When I'd signal right, the high beams would come on. I think you are right.

Mr_Shiftright

yeah it is Red Sovine....he recorded it but didn't write it. Tom Waits changed the lyrics just a little bit. It's another take on the old "phantom truck" myth that seems to go way back into Depression Era American folklore.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

yeah it is Red Sovine....he recorded it but didn't write it. Tom Waits changed the lyrics just a little bit. It's another take on the old "phantom truck" myth that seems to go way back into Depression Era American folklore.

Did you check out the link? The song is not Phantom 309- it's a parody of it.

Mr_Shiftright

Didnt' get wind of the swerve in the conversation, sorry.

laurasdada

At lunch today, a white Cadillac Allante! Alas, no Kelly Bundy, nor her bounce, to be seen.

Mr_Shiftright

Cadillac's 1987 roadster answer to Mercedes' 1972 R107 roadsters, a little late and a lot worse.

sda

Mr_Shiftright said:

Cadillac's 1987 roadster answer to Mercedes' 1972 R107 roadsters, a little late and a lot worse.

I understand to fold the top on an Allante was not an easy task. Was the early model with the 4.9 a better car overall in regard to long term durability compared to the smoother more powerful and problem child Northstar?

fintail

Funniest thing is R129 was on the road for MY 1990, which blew it out of the water even more. Sure, it was much more expensive, but that demographic doesn't care. I think early 500SL were going over MSRP for the first year or so. I think the Allante isn't bad looking, and prices seem almost too low now, but it wasn't the best planning to make the direct comparison.

About 15 years later, enter XLR - lesson not learned. Lexus also abandoned their SL competitor.

kyfdx

Funny... just saw an XLR in a parking lot, about an hour ago.

ab348

I read a chronology recently on the ongoing development of the Allante - wish I could remember where. It was interesting because it was really interesting. GM knew the early models had a lot of issues due to the Pininfarina sourcing of things like the top assembly. But sales were far below expectations which kept development investment scarce. The Northstar engine greatly improved the performance apparently, but of course the long-term issues with it were not immediately apparent. I seem to recall the article saying that a new top design was either developed or in fact introduced late in the production cycle, can't remember which.

Mr_Shiftright

kyfdx said:

Funny... just saw an XLR in a parking lot, about an hour ago.

There's an XLR for sale at my local Chevy dealer--which is really where it belongs.

uplanderguy

A coworker and I played hooky one afternoon while working in Nashville, and drove up to Bowling Green to take a tour of the Corvette plant; this was 2006. The XLR was built on its own separate line there. I remember that at the end of the tour, the guide asked a young girl if she wanted to be first to start this new XLR at the end of the line. She gladly did, then the guide said, "OK, you can get out now". There was no interior door hardware so she couldn't get out, which elicited a good laugh from the tour.

Mr_Shiftright

that's an optional extra---"premier interior hardware package---$895"

laurasdada

Can't explain it, I've always had a thing for the XLR. '07 in blue for sale in my neighborhood, $24k. I seem to want a hard top convertible. But, I won't. That's old school GM. The arrogant pricing didn't help it either.

I believe the interior door "handle" is actually a button.

roadburner

I had an engineer friend who worked at GM during the Allante's gestation period. He told me that the Pininfarina design just barely complied with the Federal crashworthiness standards in place at the time. He told me he wouldn't drive -or ride in- an Allante under any circumstances.

sda

I think a lot of cars were just built to the minimum Federal crashworthiness standard. They could tout a driver's air bag, perhaps anti-lock brakes and the public assumed the car to be safe. I believe making public the results from the IIHS tests and videos provided a much needed wake up call. The car companies did not want to be embarrassed that their product performed poorly. I know it got my attention.

explorerx4

I just one of those Cadi-vettes(XLR), too about 15 minutes ago.

ab348

ab348 said:

"It was interesting because it was really interesting."

I think I should nominate that for post of the year. Not my finest bit of writing.

In my defense, there have been contractors tearing up the basement all day and now the overhead lights throughout the house are all out. Some sort of unexpected incident.

sda

ab348 said:

ab348 said:

"It was interesting because it was really interesting."

I think I should nominate that for post of the year. Not my finest bit of writing.

In my defense, there have been contractors tearing up the basement all day and now the overhead lights throughout the house are all out. Some sort of unexpected incident.

The fun of renovation!?? Been there, challenging and worth it in the end. A bourbon, neat will settle the nerves.

tjc78

The guy who bough my 04 Grand Marquis drove up in an early Allante. He asked me if the Marquis was reliable and I couldn't help myself and said, "yes especially compared to that Allante". He got a good chuckle out of it.