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

uplanderguy

I'm not a fan of the looks of Grand Nationals myself. I think you could get a T-Type with a turbo that still had the basic Regal colors and bright trim, right up to the end. I could be wrong.

fintail

1982 was the year of the Celebrity, Cavalier, and S10/Blazer along with all of the platform clones. Many seemed to be preparing for a world of more scarce more expensive gasoline that never happened.

When I was younger, there was a pristine aeroback 442 in town, I thought it was interesting.

uplanderguy

Those RWD mid-size GM's were the last GM cars that I liked a lot. Actually, they were the last cars of any make that I liked a lot, LOL.

jwm40517

A 60 Chevy Bel Air 2 dr ht with the flat top roof recently moved just down the street from me and I drive by a few times a day.
While looking at it, a newish Camaro drove by and I was amazed at the difference in visibility from those two cars. It seems like all 4 pillars on the 1960 were no more than 3 inches wide for each one.

PF_Flyer

With the head cold I've had for the last week, sitting on the couch coughing was a good way to spot this

kyfdx

Bueller? Bueller?

PF_Flyer

heh.. that replica car they backed out the window now resides at a Planet Hollywood in Cancun.

Road trip anyone?

fintail

On the road tonight in the cool drizzle, an 88-91 Prelude and an early 80s Civic.

Mr_Shiftright

Drove this today---hardly obscure...

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Drove this today---hardly obscure...

What is that.... a Pinto?!

stickguy

obscure to see one out on the road.

ab348

Schweet! A '63?

explorerx4

Those C2's still look great.

stickguy

Epitome of the 60's jet/NASA era.

fintail

Not as exciting (but maybe as rare these days), I think I saw an early 90s T-Bird SC today, along with a Contour SVT.

Mr_Shiftright

ab348 said:

Schweet! A '63?

Yep, a '63 Split Window L76---so a 327/340 with power steering (thank god). Very nice car and surprisingly easy to drive. Some of these have "bear" clutches and no p/s, and no Dyna-Mat under the flooring, so can be somewhat unpleasant in terms of heat and noise. This baby was well-sorted and tight as a drum.

If I had my way with her, I'd store all the original parts, and install rack & pinion, disc brakes, 5-speed, premium sound (no cuts in the panels however), and vintage AC, and use it often, except in the rain. No chance that Corvette door gaps are going to keep water out for very long.

ab348

Here's a former film shoot car - though there is no mention of which film - that looks quite nice. Maybe it was a remake of Cannon. Price doesn't seem too outrageous, I assume it can be had for a bit less. Does have the ever-popular "AC just needs a charge" in the description though. Love the interior.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/6434227905.html

fintail

Those make me think of "The French Connection. Must be a repaint, but blue plates bode well.

I've read QC on these wasn't 100%.

PF_Flyer

Mr_Shiftright said:

Drove this today---hardly obscure...

I think those were my favorite Vettes. By '68, they were still cool, but never had the same "it" factor for me

kyfdx

I think the C3 gets unfairly trashed, mostly because of what came from '74-'82.

The '68-'73 cars were very cool..

texases

Had it been reversed (early cars bad, later cars good), we'd probably have a better opinion of the C3. But we remember what happened most recently.

roadburner

The 1973 is my favorite C3; smooth nose with the classic split-bumper rear. I sometimes toy with the idea of buying a decent driver and putting a stout crate motor in it.

Mr_Shiftright

You can get a lot of cheap power out of a 350 crate motor. My biggest complaints about older Corvettes are the lack of interior durability and the wide panel gaps.

Michaell

Mr_Shiftright said:

You can get a lot of cheap power out of a 350 crate motor. My biggest complaints about older Corvettes are the lack of interior durability and the wide panel gaps.

Are you saying that Corvette was Saturn before Saturn?

texases

While the C2 is my favorite for styling, I have a soft spot for the C4. When it came out it was new and modern to me. I could get one cheap now, for sure.

Mr_Shiftright

Yep, C4s are pretty cheap. You must avoid the early ones, though.

Mr_Shiftright

Michaell said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

You can get a lot of cheap power out of a 350 crate motor. My biggest complaints about older Corvettes are the lack of interior durability and the wide panel gaps.

Are you saying that Corvette was Saturn before Saturn?

Well there is the old joke that you measure Corvette interiors in dog years.

I was looking at this 30,000 mile original ZR-1 last week, and the interior was already starting to look a bit shabby. The materials are just not of good quality.

texases

If I was buying I'd look at the '96. Last year, most bugs squashed, best motor, and OBD-II. I'd prefer it to a C5, that styling has never appealed to me. Kind of looks like a C4 that was left to melt...

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, best year, best engine.

kyfdx

My friend has a 1990 ZR-1 in his house. Not sure on the mileage, but fairly certain it's in the four digit range.

I really liked the C5 when it debuted.. looked like a mid-engine Eurocar. But, that look hasn't worn well (with me). I much prefer the C6.

texases

Yeah, C6 is better than C5 or C7, looks-wise. The C7 just seems...misshapen.

Mr_Shiftright

Everyone stashed their ZR-1s hoping to cash in.

Didn't happen. MSRP $60K--$70K / Current value low $20K, high $20K for low miles and last years.

kyfdx

Mr_Shiftright said:

Everyone stashed their ZR-1s hoping to cash in.

Didn't happen. MSRP $60K--$70K / Current value low $20K, high $20K for low miles and last years.

There is only one year, right? 1990?

tifighter

kyfdx said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Everyone stashed their ZR-1s hoping to cash in.

Didn't happen. MSRP $60K--$70K / Current value low $20K, high $20K for low miles and last years.

There is only one year, right? 1990?

I think they were 1990 to 1995. Killed before the final 1996 C4 year.

Mr_Shiftright

tifighter is correct. In '93 they came out with a 40th anniversary edition and from then on, boosted HP--which is why the earlier ones are worth less---so yeah, 90-95, that's it.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 puts up 755hp and 0-60 in under 3 seconds.

fintail

Saw a chrome bumper MGB in traffic, probably the same one I saw last week.

kyfdx

Mr_Shiftright said:

tifighter is correct. In '93 they came out with a 40th anniversary edition and from then on, boosted HP--which is why the earlier ones are worth less---so yeah, 90-95, that's it.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 puts up 755hp and 0-60 in under 3 seconds.

I don’t think the 40th anniversary model is a ZR-1, is it? I’m pretty out of the loop on C4 vettes, though

Mr_Shiftright

kyfdx said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

tifighter is correct. In '93 they came out with a 40th anniversary edition and from then on, boosted HP--which is why the earlier ones are worth less---so yeah, 90-95, that's it.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 puts up 755hp and 0-60 in under 3 seconds.

I don’t think the 40th anniversary model is a ZR-1, is it? I’m pretty out of the loop on C4 vettes, though

You could buy a 40th anniversary "regular" Corvette or a ZR-1 version of it.

ab348

This looks rather amazingly original:

1959 Studebaker Lark

Mr_Shiftright

Sure does. Looks repainted, though.

fintail

Saw a couple goodies on the road today - a very nice obviously restored pastel grey and white 59-60 (I think) Corvette, topless, wide whites, looked new, and an early Porsche 356, no doubt a 50s model - the driver of that turned his head at my car. I also saw a couple of BMW E28, one of them a 535.

I also stopped by Park Place, and they apparently have received a collection of odd cars - odd in their ordinary-ness. A number of early 60s Mopar sedans, a pair of 58 Buick sedans, a couple mid 50s Fords, a pair of 63-64 Breezeway Mercurys. I didn't take pics, expecting the cars on the website - not yet. Some pretty cool and unusual cars. My pick was a white on blue (I think) 61 Desoto 4 door HT, in excellent condition.

berri

They didn't make very many 61 Desoto's. I believe production stopped in something like November '60. If it is a 61 it has a kind of goofy looking slender oval like grill on top of the regular grill. Add a 4 door HT and it is indeed a rather unusual find.

fintail

Yep, it was definitely a 61, I am familiar with the design.

The dealer has added some of the oddballs to their "new arrivals" section, but no DeSoto yet:

http://www.parkplaceltd.com/new-arrivals-cars

They do have the pair of 58 Olds up (not Buicks, memory slipped), the 60 Chryslers, and one of the Mercurys.

berri

58 GM's - Harley Earl's last hurrah. The perpetual question; which is uglier the 58 Buick or 58 Olds?

ab348

berri said:

58 GM's - Harley Earl's last hurrah. The perpetual question; which is uglier the 58 Buick or 58 Olds?

Coincidentally, I was asking myself that exact question last night. Collectible Automobile's new issue has a feature on the 1958 Detroit convertibles, and I was pondering what one would have appealed to m the most if I was in the new-car market way back when. I like Oldmsobiles generally but the '58 does not qualify. The Buick is a bit more interesting but again, is not a favorite. The Impala is the best-looking of GM's 4 but I am not a Chevy guy, so if I was going GM it would have to have been a Pontiac Bonneville. But I think I would go with a Chrysler in '58.

Fin, the folks at Park Place are asking some stratospheric prices for 4-door sedans. Nice 4-door sedans admittedly, but not that kind of money nice.

fintail

Oh yeah, their prices can be out of this world for both modern and vintage material. Either they have built in room for significant negotiation, or the dopey local over-monied types shop on impulse, and they cash in on the idle money floating around here.

I suspect the DeSoto will be close to 30K.

berri

ab - I go 58 Bonneville too. Liked the 55-57 Pontiac version of the Nomad better also. Back to 58's, the Ford that year was a bit controversial styling. I think it tended to be a like it or not look that year. For Ford fans it was more a 57 or 58 debate. Edsel - you probably could write a book on that one and it wouldn't be all bad.

ab348

I really like the '57 Pontiacs but the '55/56 not at all.

The 1958 model year was not a good one for styling.

fintail

Saw a Noble in traffic today, along with that same MGB.

fintail

Another one, 2 door Nova, I assume 1974 as it had gargantuan chrome railroad ties for bumpers.