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

uplanderguy

I can remember one or two of those at our local Dodge dealer's lot.

texases

Wonder if it was a local package. I've never seen another Duster with the same forest green paint, white stripes, white pained roof, and black fake hood scoops as my '72...

fintail

On the road today - obviously restored International Scout, W116 300SD doing pizza delivery duty (has to be the same guy as the W123 delivery driver), W123 300CD, Cobra replica, white 560SL, 993.

berri

When I was in college my roommate had a new Mustang that he used to deliver pizza. However he quickly realized what that grease and smell could do, so it was a short lived career

PF_Flyer

This morning while waiting in line outside the Waffle Shop, this came by.

explorerx4

This morning, a blue 68 Roadrunner in beautiful condition.

stickguy

over in Ireland, a few oddballs (though very few old cars of any type). U.S. domestics, both driving in Dublin, a 75ish Camaro and 71 Mustang convertible. Pretty sure both LHD, so that must have been fun. And elsewhere, a couple of original style Minis. And a Citroen 2CV. And some 1920 or early 30s (Model A style) sedan driving around the windy roads.

berri

Head over to Sweden Stick, there are a lot of US old cars buffs there.

Mr_Shiftright

Norway, too. Dealers in CA send a LOT of cars to Norway. Everybody has money there.

texases

I saw what I HOPE is a one of a kind: A BMW 320Ti with a "landau" vinyl roof, just from the b pillar back. ????

kyfdx

On a similar note, a late '90s-early '00s 7-Series with a full vinyl "cabriolet" roof treatment. I see it parked on the street, almost weekly.. yeeesh.

fintail

Luckily I don't see MBs like that, around here anyway - but that has always been more of an east coast/southeast thing.

I did see a W210 E55 AMG with no front bumper, pretty neglected looking all around, in traffic (no signal use either, of course).

fintail

Odd wagon day today - Suzuku Esteem wagon, Mazda 323 wagon.

kyfdx

Saw a Suzuki Sidekick today.. with a big chrome brush bar over the grill/headlights. Looked in typical shape for a 20 yr old economy car.

Mr_Shiftright

Nissan Silvia in nice shape.

ab348

A Hemmings Find of the Day today - I remember seeing this advertised for sale a few years ago, must have been in 2011 as mentioned in the ad. Pretty unusual car but really not appealing to me even though I like the '70 fullsize Pontiac. Colors don't help, nor does it being a narrow-track Chevy underneath.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/pontiac/laurentian/1936445.html

xwesx

The profile is nice, but that front end is just so, so ungainly!

Overall, it looks like it has pretty solid bones, though.

Mr_Shiftright

Heavy-nose cars with a snout that hangs way out over the front wheels are rarely attractive.

berri

Boy that color is time period correct and common back then

kyfdx

A relative had the '70 Bonneville sedan version of that car. In a creamy yellow. Not a good look.

fintail

Saw a clean burgundy Jag XJ40 today, they are getting a little thin on the ground.

Mr_Shiftright

Not surprising---the next generation, the X300s 1994-1997 are much more reliable cars--a vast improvement.

fintail

Yep, the last pre-Ford generation was no doubt BL-like in how it aged. When I was younger, a friend of the family had one - pretty car - black on creme colored leather, but I was amazed at how small it was inside.

Mr_Shiftright

So was the X300 the first Forduar?

fintail

I think so. I know it at least had some Ford input - I doubt the drastic change in quality was a coincidence (not that it could have been worse).

fintail

Out on the road this morning I saw a red Lark convertible on a flatbed, a cool 70s era Ford 4x4, very original and likely restored, and a very clean W126 380SE.

uplanderguy

I wonder if the Lark is headed for South Bend. The 53rd International Studebaker Drivers' Club meet is there this coming week. I'm headed out Thurs-Sat...sans my Stude; too soon and still working on getting a new exhaust for it. I'd like to arrive alive, LOL!

fintail

It could have been, but it's a long way from here to Indiana.

Is there a problem getting an exhaust for that car, or are you searching for a NOS item?

uplanderguy said:

I wonder if the Lark is headed for South Bend. The 53rd International Studebaker Drivers' Club meet is there this coming week. I'm headed out Thurs-Sat...sans my Stude; too soon and still working on getting a new exhaust for it. I'd like to arrive alive, LOL!

uplanderguy

The Chevy engine with single exhaust is actually a bit of a problem. For it to clear the Studebaker steering, the left Y-pipe is a tangled piece of spaghetti, LOL. I'm buying NOS when I'm out in South Bend. The local exhaust place, when given the option of that or bending their own for that, said they'd prefer the NOS. The rest of the exhaust should be able to be sourced locally; just a longer muffler than usual. I want the tailpipe to have a similar bent to original of course.

uplanderguy

Really, there are people coming from Australia, Florida, the Pacific NW, all over for this meet. The International meet is in South Bend only every five years. It's billed as a "coming home" sort of thing. This year is the 53rd annual meet. It's funny that there were meets when Studebaker was still building cars.

I have a friend from Manitoba who is leaving this morning for the meet.

On Facebook this weekend, I saw a video of Mark Zuckerberg riding with the young mayor of South Bend the other day, and the mayor pointed out the Studebaker Administration Building and the old Body Plant which is being repurposed into attractive new-tech data space. The mayor said, "When Studebaker shut down, we almost went down with it but we've climbed back and continue to do so." The mayor is a young guy so of course wasn't alive then.

fintail

Hey, at least you can get the NOS, that's pretty amazing for a consumable part like that on a 50+ year old car. Come to think of it, I have never needed to replace the exhaust on the fintail, and I have had the car for over 20 years. In 1997 it needed a new muffler (I remember it vividly, this is when a piston ring broke, which made the car backfire now and then, and the old muffler couldn't take it), but the pipe is older. The mild climate here must keep them solid for long periods.

Maybe the red Lark was heading out there. I am sure there are some local Stude people. Now and then I used to see a later Cruiser in my area, and it had Stude club plate frames, but I don't think I have spotted it for a couple years. At least South Bend is trying, for that region, it is probably ahead of the curve.

Mr_Shiftright

Saw these while pedaling around Sonoma:

texases

I've thought about posting some 'cars under tarps' in the mystery car thread. But I don't know what they really are. One house has 3 on their driveway, except the weekends, when one gets taken out for a drive.

kyfdx

I really like the step-side pickup. Is that an Edsel under the tarp?

Mr_Shiftright

Yep--not sure what year. I try not to get too near Edsels. There are tons of old cars around here.

tifighter

I am digging the Citroen...

ab348

That 2CV van must be a joy to drive.

fintail

59 Edsel

Mr_Shiftright

ab348 said:

That 2CV van must be a joy to drive.

Pretty flat in the valley here, so might not be too bad. Seems to be an everyday driver.

The Edsel has been there since the earth cooled. "Sell 'er? Hell, no. I'm a-gonna restore that car someday..!"

fintail

Good luck with that. I think the least desirable year for Edsels, I am sure a basic 4 door post, probably little premium over a normal Ford.

tifighter

Don't know if it should be called a classic, but I was over at my friend's house and spotted his Saab Viggen coupe. Black metallic. He bought this car as a year old CPO from Barrier Saab and now has 160k miles on it. Looking it over, I'm impressed how well the car has held up. The interior looks great as does the paint. He also had a 9-3 Aero he took up to 215k miles before replacing it. He claims neither one has given him any issues. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.

Mr_Shiftright

Some cars can graduate from ugly to "bulldog kinda-cute". The Edsel hasn't made it yet.

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Some cars can graduate from ugly to "bulldog kinda-cute". The Edsel hasn't made it yet.

Like my Econoline!

fintail

I don't mind 58 Edsels for their brashness, and IMO 60 Edsels aren't bad looking (admittedly, I like 60 Fords), but a 59 seems to be the most normal one.

imidazol97

fintail said:

Good luck with that. I think the least desirable year for Edsels, I am sure a basic 4 door post, probably little premium over a normal Ford.

I'd think the '60s would be the least desired for Edsel: they were obviously a Packardized 1960 Ford.

@Mr_Shiftright
Any chance of getting a profile shot of that edsel?

imidazol97

There are several covered cars around that I'd like to post to see who figures out what they are under the tarp.

Mr_Shiftright

imidazol97 said:

fintail said:

Good luck with that. I think the least desirable year for Edsels, I am sure a basic 4 door post, probably little premium over a normal Ford.

I'd think the '60s would be the least desired for Edsel: they were obviously a Packardized 1960 Ford.

@Mr_Shiftright
Any chance of getting a profile shot of that edsel?

I don't think I'd dare remove the tarp. The house it is parked near looks like the Munsters live there.

berri

I'm not sure about the Edsel either, but it looks more angular in the front, so I'd guess '59. The 58 had the headlights in kind of a pod as I remember at least. I kinda like the 58 because it is very reflective of the times and populux culture era. You could even get them in an assortment of pastels. I never really thought the looks alone killed it. Rather Ford over promised from the reality they delivered and the car was not really mechanically ready for prime time - lotta quality glitches initially. There was also a rather serious recession in 1958 which particularly impacted mid priced vehicle line sales. All of that got the press talking and suddenly the expression "looks like an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon" took hold. Sadly the 59 remedied most of that, but it was too late.

uplanderguy

The '59's are my least-favorite Edsels too. My favorites are actually the cheaper, Ford-based '58 two-door hardtops, but I have to admit liking the '60's for the almost-unbelievable rarity. They came in that great Starliner hardtop bodystyle like the Ford, too.

We've discussed this before, but Packard's James Nance went from being president of Studebaker-Packard, leaving in '56, to running the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln division of Ford before being fired by McNamara (from what I've read, anyway). I always thought that Edsel had a lineup not unlike the last Detroit Packards--a 'junior' and 'senior' line.

explorerx4

Over the weekend while visiting one of my kids and walking her dog, I saw what I think was a low line Edsel sitting in a driveway. It was mostly obscured by a gate across the driveway.