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

tjc78

All we had was big Detroit iron....

At a family gathering there would literally be 4-5 Town Cars, same amount of Park Aves/Lesabres, and a few Caddies.  

texases

My family's Mopars were many things. Quiet was not one of them. 

ab348

texases said:

My family's Mopars were many things. Quiet was not one of them. 

Unibodies. In '70 and '71 they moved the big C-body cars to a rubber-isolated front stub frame to quiet them down and it helped a bit, but they still had the inherent issues of noise transfer that all unit bodies suffer from.

Mr_Shiftright

I don't recall ever owning a quiet car my entire life--I think it would spook me.

uplanderguy

As a highway cruiser, there was nothing like a nearly-completely-silent car. Ahh, memories.

ab348

Oooh! I am fully in love with this:

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-oldsmobile-vista-cruiser/

What an incredible survivor. The interior is absolutely mint, even in the back.

uplanderguy

That driver's seat almost looks like leather, but I'd doubt it in a wagon, and a mid-size wagon, to boot.

A kid I knew in school had parents with a light green metallic '67 Vista Cruiser with woodgrain. It had blackwall tires with the full wheelcovers, so I'll assume those were not its original tires. I was amazed at the glovebox door that hinged up instead of down.

explorerx4

Geez AB348, Thanks for sending us down that BAT rabbit hole.

tjc78

I looked at the Cruiser and got out quickly!  I had to finish a few things up at work

stickguy

This is one I oddly fell in love with. Was wondering what it would go for. Cheap entry into a fun "classic" car for weekend cruise ins.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-chevrolet-camaro-2/

I assume this bid is from Road Burner.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/

And one for QB

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-maserati-spyder/

Michaell

stickguy said:

This is one I oddly fell in love with. Was wondering what it would go for. Cheap entry into a fun "classic" car for weekend cruise ins.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-chevrolet-camaro-2/

I assume this bid is from Road Burner.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/

And one for QB

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-maserati-spyder/

Are gold chains included with the Camaro purchase?

stickguy

I can find my own. Not normally my thing but that was a nice one.

ab348

I was kinda hoping that someone with a car crusher and good taste in styling would buy that Civic, but $200K is probably not that.

ab348

Michaell said:

Are gold chains included with the Camaro purchase?

That image sadly developed over time but I remember when that gen Camaro was introduced in '82 it was seen as a fairly sophisticated design, especially compared to the previous edition.

I do remember being wholly unimpressed with a new '82 Z28 that was given to me for the day by a car salesman friend of my dad's with the expectation I would buy it. It wasn't much quicker than my '77 LeMans and it rode like a buckboard. It was surprisingly easy to give him back the keys the next day.

texases

Yeah, that gen Camaro made a big impression on me when it came out. Couldn't keep my eyes off it. 

uplanderguy

I loved the '82 Berlinetta, with the gold wheels and subtle trim, velour buckets, etc. I also liked that year's clock that sat flat in the console.

fintail

Something that bugged me about the F-cars of that era was the depth of the dash - it felt like you were sitting miles from the windshield. Maybe that was just my youngster perception.

The SO of a family member had a new 87 IROC, and I got to ride in it several times. I liked it for the T-tops, but I knew it wasn't the most refined thing in the world

uplanderguy

Lots of crinkly black plastic on that dash, too. And no glovebox besides the one in the console.

stickguy

The only gloves I wear I carry in my coat pocket. So no worries there!

Speaking of the F bodies, I saw a nice (looked new) Firebird turbo indy 500 pace car edition. complete with all the decals. looked just like this.

ab348

Ah, the Turbo Pontiac 301, better known as the "Grenade".

Mr_Shiftright

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

This is one I oddly fell in love with. Was wondering what it would go for. Cheap entry into a fun "classic" car for weekend cruise ins.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-chevrolet-camaro-2/

I assume this bid is from Road Burner.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/

And one for QB

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-maserati-spyder/

Are gold chains included with the Camaro purchase?

And don't forget the handgun in the glovebox.

omarman

Mr_Shiftright said:

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

This is one I oddly fell in love with. Was wondering what it would go for. Cheap entry into a fun "classic" car for weekend cruise ins.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-chevrolet-camaro-2/

I assume this bid is from Road Burner.

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/

And one for QB

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-maserati-spyder/

Are gold chains included with the Camaro purchase?

And don't forget the handgun in the glovebox.

Packing an Iron Duke under the hood.

uplanderguy

Here's an '84 Berlinetta:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e7/4b/a4/e74ba477a9c1ae3e4c18278306502d45.jpg

I still like the styling details.

Before I ordered an '85 Celebrity Eurosport, I put a deposit on a Monte Carlo SS (cancelled it; I had had '81 and '82 Montes already), and I test-drove a new '85 Berlinetta in red. I was let down. I was used to quieter cars and it was raucous-sounding I thought--that, and I wasn't used to 'hatch' cars which are noisier I think, then and now. And the '85 had the ridiculous digital instrumentation and turn signal controls on a stalk you had to hit with your fingers--one button for left and another for right. Total turnoff. The plasticky '82-83 panel was even better.

One reason I hurried up to order my '85 instead of waiting for the '86's (I took delivery of my '85 on June 3), was that I didn't want a third brake light. Thought it looked stupid. I thought they looked downright egregious on Camaros and Corvettes when I first saw '86's.

fintail

When I was in high school, I knew a kid with a 4cyl Berlinetta. Not a quiet smooth car, nor fast, but it looked the part.

Those early factory CHMSLs often looked like the $9.99 aftermarket kind. Some makers integrated them better than others.

uplanderguy

Must've been a V6, as there were no 4-cyl. Berlinettas. They did offer that in the base Sport Coupe. I think I only ever saw one on a new car lot.

At the time, I was ready for a newly-styled Camaro. Geez, talk about long-in-the-tooth--the '81, yeesh. And the trunks in those cars were like a second glovebox, LOL.

fintail

Maybe it was a 6, just neglected. I am sure it was a Berlinetta, I remember the gold nameplate. Now that I think of it, the noise seemed similar to the 2.8 in an S-10 Blazer my dad back in the day. The Camaro was no faster than that, either - I remember thinking it might beat the Tempo, but the 66 Galaxie I drove to school felt like it could dust the Camaro.

The 81 looks like an antique for the time, but I have to admit those late run Z28s are kind of cool looking, maybe in a retro way from a time I am too young to clearly remember.

PF_Flyer

'63 T-bird, owned by the same guy who owned that Eldorado

bhill2

Tastes differ, so I may get flamed for this, but I always thought that Ford must have hired a team of experts to beat each completed '61-'63 T-bird with an ugly stick before delivery to the dealer. My father referred to them a 'Blunderturds', and I have to say I agreed with him (a fairly unusual event at that time in my life).

fintail

The cigar Bird front ends are definitely not to the taste of everyone. I think the rear ends with the large round lights are kind of cool, and the interiors were pretty well done for a ritzy space age theme.

uplanderguy

I thought they went to great extents to make them look like a bird--the '63's with feathers tucked in on the sides. I like the interiors, but never understood why they had the huge console but no floor shifter, like everybody else.

Most of this era T-Bird are pretty reasonable to buy, too.

Mr_Shiftright

I've driven them and I have to say that GM was miles ahead in engine smoothness, seamless shifting, basic handling and stability and overall build quality IMO.

roadburner

A friend of mine worked at a Pontiac dealer during that era. The underhood heat was so bad that it percolated water out of the windshield washer nozzles.Then there was the digital boost gauge built into the hood scoop- it
melted. The fix consisted of heavily insulated and more robust "boost lights."

fintail

Saw a pretty blue mid 60s Stingray convertible today, and a heavily chopped ~50 Mercury coupe.

PF_Flyer

How about some lap belts and a hula dancer?

ab348

That Hornet interior reminds me of our family's '75 Sportabout in terms of the dash and steering wheel though we did not have the Gucci package with the fancy upholstery. That steering wheel was not a favorite - seemed too big and old-fashioned. And you haven't experienced "hard plastic" until you touched that under-dash parcel shelf on one of these, just the cheapest-feeling stuff imaginable. The main part of the dash, however, was cast metal, unusual these days.

stickguy

I didn't need. The hornet nameplate to recognize that as an AMC dash. Same one I had in my hornet and my gremlin!

toomanyfumes

Hey that Hornet has carpeting. That's one step above my Gremlin!

fintail

XLR-V, 323 wagon, E30 sedan.

xwesx

I saw a Subaru XT-6 yesterday as I was leaving work. Pretty rare beast these days in general, but this one looked to be cherry. My four-year-old cars have more visible wear and tear than this thing had!

tjc78

A lifted Brat.  It looked beat but was obviously someone's trail rig. 

fintail

In the rain today, a very unrestored looking ~1970 Chevy pickup, and a kind of harvest gold mid 70s middle sized Mopar woody wagon.

Mr_Shiftright

Morris Traveller "woody" station wagon. Asked owner about it--it has a Datsun engine and transmission in it--apparently a very popular mod.

1968 Porsche 911 "S" soft-top targa. Incredibly rare car! Not "spotted"--I was appraising it.

fintail

Today spotted a square light Rabbit diesel with teenaged looking girls in it, and a BMW E30 cut down into a pickup.

sda

A very nice pearl white Infiniti J30. Not necessarily classic, three Chrysler 300Ms from around 2000, all within 1 mile and 5 minutes in varying condition. One looked well kept, one looked like a hooptie.

stickguy

a Jag XjS. Looked kinda tired. parked next to a dingy gas station, with no plates on it. Sad

Mr_Shiftright

stickguy said:

a Jag XjS. Looked kinda tired. parked next to a dingy gas station, with no plates on it. Sad

A common fate for those and most XJ6s as well. Too much to restore, no value on the other end.

fintail

I think many an XJS went from shiny prize to derelict in record time. I remember when I was a kid, there were plenty neglected ones (esp V12s) laying around. Depreciation must have been brutal, especially by the 8-10 year mark.

Mr_Shiftright

They are very seductive cars---you get a very nice ride and driving experience when you test drive your first XJS---and the price is always right, so quite a few people pull the trigger and it all goes downhill from there. I had one client who sunk $30K into one in a few years before he finally pulled the rip cord. Ended up donating it.

I find the XJS very awkward-looking.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

They are very seductive cars---you get a very nice ride and driving experience when you test drive your first XJS---and the price is always right, so quite a few people pull the trigger and it all goes downhill from there. I had one client who sunk $30K into one in a few years before he finally pulled the rip cord. Ended up donating it.

I find the XJS very awkward-looking.

A former co-worker had/has one she used as her daily driver 365 days a year. I dunno how she kept it running, from rusting out, and looking good. She told me she "had a guy" who took care of it's needs, and she had new leather installed on the seats. I think she still is driving it.

fintail

There's a guy I assume is a realtor who works in a realty office next door to the building where I live, who DDs an early 90s era XJS cabrio. Must be a labor of love keeping that on the road for the commuting grind.