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

fintail

On the road today: 82-85 Accord sedan in OK condition, late run 944 with a lot of junk in the trunk or messed up suspension, as it was sitting pretty low in the rear.

berri

Red '60 Cadillac convertible with top down cruising today. Then went past the Ford dealer and they had a Shelby pickup truck. I wouldn't make that connection, but I suppose with trucks hot sellers these days it make sense. It was actually next to a Ford Raptor on the lot. The Raptor looked a bit lower to the ground from my viewing angle, while the Shelby seemed like it actually had a bit of a jacked up suspension. Not really sure what the differences are under the hood and until now didn't know Ford has a Shelby version of their pickup.

explorerx4

@berri,
Coincidentally, I just came across this ad. Looks pretty tall.
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/ctd/6148101660.html

Mr_Shiftright

"call for pricing" ---uh, oh.

berri

The Shelby I saw was blue, but I seriously did not know that they existed. But honestly, if I was buying, I'd go for the convertible!

texases

I'm thinking that pickup is an aftermarket job. 

berri

I was wondering about that. Shelby means performance, but if the suspension is jacked up a bit it would seem to interfere with handling and top speed? The Raptor is the factory Ford pickup hot rod.

stickguy

some oddballs today/yesterday.

For Fin, a very original looking (as in a bit tired and worn) MB 280 CE. Late 60s/early 70s? Skinny little chrome bumpers on both ends, and I think the stacked headlights. Driven by a very old looking lady, so original owner would not surprise me. Smelled like a 45 YO car too, that probably could stand some tuning. Just never see these on the road, at least around here.

and a very nice blue 1971 Mustang fastback. Not sure if a Mach 1, but it had to highrise spoiler in the back.

and another real rare one. a 72ish (chrome bumpers, no extension) Caprice convertible. Red with a white top. Made me think of Mr. Brady. man, what a barge.

toomanyfumes

A Co-worker has a F-150 Tonka. Aftermarket conversion. Mostly cosmetic, scoops, lift, wheels, and bright yellow paint on a loaded truck. Sticker was 82K! Not sure what he paid, he traded a FTX F150, which is a similar conversion by the same company.

texases

Here's some of what the Shelby web site has to say about that F150:

Quantities are limited. Only 500 2017 Shelby
F-150s will be available through Shelby authorized
dealers. Six distinctive colors will be offered
and they will be available in either a 395HP
Naturally Aspirated version or an amazing 750HP
Supercharged version. Each will be fitted with two
Shelby CSM serial number plaques certifying their
authenticity and limited availability.
395HP Naturally Aspirated MSRP $88,595
750HP Supercharged MSRP $101,595
MSRP includes 2017 F-150 chassis

berri

Tonka was by far the best of the toy trucks when I was growing up. Durable and realistic looking!

berri

That's a lot of beans for a tricked up Ford truck - wow!

toomanyfumes

Yeah Google it and check them out. Way too flashy for me, but he loves it. I'd buy a new Mustang GT and a year old F-150 for that money.

fintail

Saw a 63 Chevy pickup, later W123 300D, 2x burgundy Cadillac XLR both driven by septuagenarians or better, and the real unicorn, a pristine STS-V. I think they sold about 9 of those.

That car got me thinking - like the XLR-V, it was the top model, undercutting the German tuned model competition by more than small change, but also not meeting the same levels of performance or material/build quality as the tuned (AMG, M, RS) German cars. In a way, it was kind of equal to the somewhat gentle German tuned variants that have suddenly hit the scene - the small engine AMG cars, the M suffix cars, and Audi S cars. Maybe Caddy was ahead of its time for this niche? Probably not, it just positioned its top model in a different way, one the market didn't embrace.

fintail

280CE would be a W114 coupe, years 1972-76, I think. They didn't really have stacked lights though, although the light pod was a rectangle with a round light at top, and blinkers below. Was it a smaller car or larger car? A 280SE coupe (W111, 1968-71), the larger car, had stacked lights. 280CE are still quite affordable, nice 280SEs are getting a little pricier every day it seems.

stickguy said:

some oddballs today/yesterday.

For Fin, a very original looking (as in a bit tired and worn) MB 280 CE. Late 60s/early 70s? Skinny little chrome bumpers on both ends, and I think the stacked headlights. Driven by a very old looking lady, so original owner would not surprise me. Smelled like a 45 YO car too, that probably could stand some tuning. Just never see these on the road, at least around here.

and another real rare one. a 72ish (chrome bumpers, no extension) Caprice convertible. Red with a white top. Made me think of Mr. Brady. man, what a barge.

stickguy

I think it was like this one. Hard to say since it drove past me. I could have sworn is said CE but could have been SE. The top looked a tad funky, so it may have been a convertible with a hardtop.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/mercedes-benz/280se/1939708.html

I assume this was the same? pretty close to what I saw.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz/280se/1916938.html

this one is the same color.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/mercedes-benz/280se/1900544.html

fintail

Yep, that's an SE, the large coupe that is structurally related to the fintail. A 280CE would be a smaller car, something like this (this has Euro lights)



There were no hardtops for the convertible 280SE models, they all had cloth tops. The 280SE cabrios were seen as classics from new and appreciated from day one, they are well into six figures now.

stickguy

must have been an SE than. Was not this newer style.

kyfdx

The 280CE is my favorite.

kyfdx

fintail

That's a great color for that CE, for sure.

Out on the road this morning, saw 3x BMW E38, a rat rod looking Karmann Ghia, Mitsu Expo and 3000GT.

tjc78

Took the kids up to the farm for Hayrides and Strawberry picking.  Saw an 86 ish Gran Prix Aerocoupe in decent condition.  Also spotted two burnt orange 70s Mopars of some sort guessing Demons or Darts heading the other way on the trip home.  

roadburner

I almost bought a GP Aerocoupe. Great condition and an even greater price.

tjc78

That's not too much of a barge for you? 

roadburner

I always liked the Monte Carlo SS and the Grand Prix 2+2 of that era. A 400 hp crate motor, four wheel discs and some suspension tweaks would make one entertaining ride.

fintail

The Pontiac aerocoupe seems pretty rare, never see those around.

I noticed in the garage where the fintail sleeps, the 66 Toronado and 55 Chevy I park near weren't there - but their car covers were. I wonder if one guy owns them, and took them out for the holiday weekend. I think it's the first time all year they have moved.

fintail

Out on the road in the fintail this morning (didn't get enough heat exhaustion yesterday), saw a 67 Impala convertible.

fintail

On the road a little later in the hot car, saw a red MGA with wide whites, a 914, and the highlight of the day, a blue Pantera. It had a bit of cladding, I suspect a later run GT-S. Those have gained some value.

berri

You know hat I always found weird about GM convertible roofs back then - the closed tops seemed to bubble up at higher speeds, whereas the Ford and Mopar ones seemed to stay tight. Weird because I don't think they were any noisier inside and I don't recall them as any more prone to leak.

ab348

On my '64 Skylark convertible the top was attached to the bows across the middle of the frame with crosswise lengths of "honeycomb" material so there was some slight upward movement possible. Don't know if all of them are the same.

uplanderguy

Saw a silver, bone-stock '70 Impala convertible in town yesterday. Had the optional skirts. I'd never seen it around before. It's apparent to me why those cars were so popular.

Ten minutes ago, I saw two Model T Fords--a coupe, and a wood-bed pickup--next to each other on my street, in front of my house. No doubt talking about being in our Memorial Day parade later this morning.

explorerx4

There was a slight chance of rain today, so the Memorial Day parade was cancelled.
I guess the politicians didn't want to get heckled.

stickguy

parked not far from my house, a medium blue with white top Ford fairlane 500 convertible. either a 65 or 66 (I can never remember how to tell them apart). I always liked the style on these (rare for me to like a 1960's vintage large domestic). Looked to be in decent shape, but certainly not newly restored.

also an Avanti of some vintage. Did not get close enough to tell if original or continuation.

fintail

Saw a beeeautiful late run W140 on AMG monoblock wheels. Also a little old lady in a white 80s XJ6. Nice to see timeless designs being cared for.

uplanderguy

I took my Studebaker to a local cruise-in tonight, which I enjoyed. Not long before I left, a light-to-medium blue '41 Continental convertible, red leather inside--a factory combo per the owner--pulled in. It immediately had a crowd around it--as it should. Owned by retired cop and finished only three weeks ago. He had bought it in 1973 for $1,350, and it had been parked in a garage across the street from the gate house at Stan Hywet Hall, the mansion (castle, really) of Frank Seiberling, founder of both Seiberling Rubber and Goodyear. He plans on showing it at the wonderful Stan Hywet Father's Day Car Show in a couple weeks, only feet from where he bought the car 44 years ago.

It really is a stunning design; no two ways about it.

fintail

Just imagine how that thing looked on the road among the cars on the road in 1941.

Mr_Shiftright

Not an easy car to restore either.

berri

I remember as a kid that my dad liked Seiberling tires. That name is pretty unique.

uplanderguy

He showed me under the hood how you could see how Ford lengthened a Zephyr's hood to make a Continental hood...invisible from outside, of course. No oil dipstick--a gauge or meter sort-of thing where at a glance you can tell oil level. That'd be convenient today.

fintail

And hence was born the continental kit. That car probably encouraged customizers, with its long low looks, lack of running boards, etc.

imidazol97

uplanderguy said:

a light-to-medium blue '41 Continental convertible, red leather inside--a factory combo per the owner--pulled in. It immediately had a crowd around it--as it should. Owned by retired cop and finished only three weeks ago.

I had to look up a Continental 1941, so I'm posting a picture here.
http://rick.nerds.net/car8.htm

uplanderguy

I've seen black and maroon ones, but the one I saw was a lightish steel-blue. Really striking, even with the red interior. Owner said he thought about changing the color but decided to leave it as-built. I would do that too.

fintail

Saw an early Bronco with untouched fenders today, and that W126 300SD yet again.

fintail

I saw an old Alfa GTV on the road today, blue, pretty.

Here's a good pic, taken 40 years ago today at the MB dealership in Vancouver on Broadway. (credit to the amazing Kodachrome archive of Pop Snap

June 3, 1977:



The W123 was brand new that year, a significant car.

(click on image to enlarge)

PF_Flyer

Some IRON in for a service at my buddy's shop

jpp75

PF_Flyer said:

Some IRON in for a service at my buddy's shop

That looks pristine, what a great find. If I had unlimited funds something like this would be in the garage, in spite of its gallons per mile efficiency.

uplanderguy

'73

roadburner

This morning I saw a white 1969 Eldorado for sale on the way to work.

ab348

Arnie drove a '73:

fintail

I always thought the square/rectangle lights looked good on these (seen here in the less than beloved Smokey and the Bandit III):