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

alti2k2

I saw a 1988-ish Toyota Camry All-Trac. These are pretty rare considering that they imported them for two model years. The AWD Camry continues in Japan to this day. I have also spotted All-Trac Corolla and Tercel wagons.

Mr_Shiftright

Which is the late 70s Benz with twin cams and carburetors? That's the one you want to run away from. Steer clear.

A W123 300CD would be a decent car and an early 70s coupe would be okay, if it's an injected SOHC gas engine. A 3.5 V-8 would be sweet but pricey. I think 1971 was the last year for the 280 3.5 coupe.

stickguy

That Galaxy actually looks pretty neat. If they sold it here with a stick, I'd be interested.

Saw a odd Impala today (private sale at a chevy dealer, think it belongs to someone who works there). A yellow '69 vert, 327, looked super clean but original. Interesting part is that it was a three on the tree. That couldn't have been a very common combo. And damn was that thing long, but it was all hood and trunk (it had less rear leg room than my Scion!).

Also a beautiful red/white cove '62 Vette out on the road.

rdeschene

The 2CV was our local auto show last weekend (Brockville, ON) and the Saleen is currently on sale at a local used car dealer.

And for some bloody reason the Saleen has a "double-decker" rear spoiler with the bottom spoiler about 1 foot off the rear deck and the top spoiler about 2 feet off the rear deck of the car.

Kind of makes you wish the OPP could fine someone for gaudiness !

Several mentions of the Pontiac Tempest awhile back. There are still quite a few of those around here, and one neighbour has the 4-door "hatchback" model. Talk about your tempest in a teapot.

lancerfixer

That Galaxy actually looks pretty neat. If they sold it here with a stick, I'd be interested.

You and me both...and maybe about 12 other US buyers, unfortunately!

Actually, looks-wise, I'm digging the VW Sharan and the JDM Odyssey (which is a continuation of the first-gen Ody sold here) even more. About the closest thing we get here, size-wise, is the MAzda MPV. While I acknowledge the need for and the excellence of the likes of the US market Odyssey and the Sienna, there's really not much "mini" left in these minivans!

andys120

IIRC 1967 was the last year for the Citroen 2CV. It's replacement was the equally odd but more complex Dyane..

http://fly.srk.fer.hr/zastava750/citroen/dyane/dyane05.jpg

fintail

I think the 2CV was actually made through about 1989 or so. In 1989, as a 12 year old, I wrote to Citroen for brochures, and they sent me a big envelope full of them, and one was a 2CV.

"Which is the late 70s Benz with twin cams and carburetors?"

Would that be the late 280S? I know they made it in W116 and even in W126 models for the Euro market.

I think a 280SE coupe is in a different world from a C or CE coupe.

Today I saw the same gold and beige 57 Vette I saw a few weeks ago. I also saw a "Spirit of America" Nova, white on white with blue and red stripes. It was in OK condition, but nothing to show off. It was also a "hatchback" and was branded as such, which I found amusing.

fintail

Ebay time:

Expensive, but pretty, and well done

Not many left like this

"Need some TLC to run again"...yeah, the equivalent of parting the seas

As a contrast, this is the nicest one of these I've ever seen. But why is it here?

And why is this here? This is an England-only car

This is....unusual...

Weird name and looks to match

I wonder if this is a record high mileage

You don't see these every day

This body style is an odd sight too

Wow...weird...bizarre...cool in a freaky way

I wonder about the history of this

Guess I am on a Fiat kick today

I could see Shifty in one of these....Buy it Now price is hilarious

If you want to be Mr. C from "Happy Days", here's your car

Another nice DeSoto

A few hours in a detail shop, and she'll look like new

Andre, you can't afford not to buy this, at this money and condition

Mr_Shiftright

RE: 1958 Autobianchi---why are all these delightful little rust buckets on the East Coast. I'll NEVER get a chance to bid----WAH! Yes, "buy it now" price is smack me in the head silly, but a fun little car if you could get it really cheap.

YUGO: (color commentary follows): "I think this auction result will re-define the Yugo collector market in America, fintail. 6 hours to go and we are already at $204!
"Of course, this is the "rare" automatic, Shifty, so we may see the $300 plateau broken today. Must be the free flowing wine and blinding lights of the TV cameras that are driving these bidders to dizzying heights."

RE: Les Deux Panhards -- might I suggest conversion into feedlot watering tanks. I think "TLC" should have a new meaning on Ebay---"Terrific Load of Cash". Man, did Panhard ever make a post WWII car that wasn't hideous?

RE: Iso Lele----oh, Ebayers...when will you learn? You don't put the high retail price as the opening bid. That IS NOT an auction. Goodbye foreplay and suspense---GEEZ! You might have sold it if you did it right.

RE: 1957 Hudson Hornet -- nope, you don't see these every day, that's true. So we have something to be thankful for! Oh, the dying breath of a company sometimes is hard to gaze upon (mixed metaphor there).

RE: 1963 MB 220SE Coupe---I think it's too far gone to be a viable project. Not the handsomest coupe Mercedes ever made, either.

andys120

'66 wasn't my favorite year for the GP, I really love the '62-'64 models, but that one has it all: Tri-power 421 and 8-lug wheels. It should fetch some bucks.

Meanwhile here's the explanation for the many Alfas I saw in New Hampshire last week.

http://www.boston.com/cars/articles/2004/08/08/the_romance_of_the- - _alfa_romeo/

I hope they come back soon.

fintail

That MB coupe is way far gone. I think those hardtops look nice if condition is nice...but I don't think I've ever seen one so rusty. You can get an immaculate one for 15K...you'll spend 10 in paint and bodywork alone on that one, I bet.

jrosasmc

The late '70s Benz with twin cams and carbs: it's the 280S if I recall, as the entry-level 230 was also carb-equipped, but it was single-carbed.

It seems as if those twin-carb Benzes are really diabolical to fix or maintain, because I don't remember seeing any on the road in recent years. Reminds me of the carb-equipped BMW 3.0 models. Maybe the Germans couldn't make carburetors right the first time?

Mr_Shiftright

I don't think rust of that sort is ever entirely curable. It'll come back, it never sleeps. i've seen 'em dipped and primered and acid treated and sealed and sand blasted and still there's no 100% assurance that you won't see it again.

Cars rust from the INSIDE out, that's the problem.

Probably good parts on that car, though, if you got it cheap enough. Another problem with restoring old Benzes is that you can still order an amazing number of parts from Germany--so buying a parts car makes little sense if all you need is the few percent of parts that Benz doesn't still make.

If this were a Triumph spitfire, I'd say, sure take it apart with an adjustable wrench and a hammer and play with it. But a Benz is a complex car that is very sturdily built. It's not easy to restore a Benz properly.

OBSCURE SIGHTING: It was a BMW 323i, and it had a soft window in back. I think this was it, not sure:

fintail

I've heard the 280SE used in late Euro 116 and early 126 cars is also problematic. Maybe that whole engine design was bad.

That's too true about rust. The MB specialist I know has a daughter who has a 108 250SE, and they did a bare metal paint job and body restoration on it. It looked new when it was finished, but it's bubbling around the sunroof now.

That BMW is a Baur Cabrio, I remember I had a Matchbox car of one of those when I was a kid.

lark6

Driving south on US 206 in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, passed it as I was headed north. Light yellow (ivory? cream?), wide whites. Just gorgeous.

'40 was LaSalle's last model year.

Ed

ateixeira

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4290819759&p=4152332676- &idx=9

It looked interesting, but I couldn't ID it. Didn't examine it closely but it seemed to be original, not a kit.

-juice

andys120

Except for the wheels it looks like an XK-120 or XK-140. Kinda hard to tell from the photo, whether it's a kit or not, did you see the interior or dash?

The other false note is the barely visible seatback, it just doesn't look right.

Mr_Shiftright

I think about $3,500 is market for a fintail diesel. His selling price is either an incredible freak or...well...never mind.

michaellno

--> '76 Pontaic Grand Am, nice condition, that red-orange color that was so popular at the time.

--> early 60's Mopar Imperial convertible. Black, excellent condition.

Plus others that I can't seem to remember.

Mr_Shiftright

Fake. Look at the phony fender vent doors---they are just indentations. Also wheels, windshield, lights, etc.

jaserb

I remember him saying that his was the last year they made them, so I guess that would have been a '40 as well. The only think I remember about it were the overstuffed seats a small child might sink into and never be able to escape.

-Jason

jrosasmc

Another bizarre old Mazda sighting...a late '70s RX-4 that looked tired and beat to heck, but nevertheless still driving on the street.

All I know about those '70s Mazdas is that they rusted like holy hell and the rotaries loved to use oil and get bad gas mileage.

mitzij

The SM tells me we got a replica 1929 mercedes traded in over the weekend. I can't wait to see it. The boss took it to the lake, so I won't see it till tomorrow. They say it looks like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Do they make a lot of replica cars? What do you do, get crates full of parts and put it together yourself? Sounds like fun.

Mr_Shiftright

There's all kinds of ways to buy them, and they vary in quality and price tremendously. I know the car you are talking about. It's a pretty poor excuse for a Mercedes---I think they call them Gazelles.

You can buy replicas "turn key" or completely in pieces or as rolling chassis without a drivetrain, which you can add as you prefer (from a limited number of choices).

A few of the replicars are pretty decent, like the better Cobra kits, and some are real death traps.

One thing they all have in common is that they are bad investments except as fun.

fintail

Those replicas are tolerable if you don't know what the real vehicles actually look like.

Mr_Shiftright

or drive like!

andys120

those Porsche Speedster replicas built by Intermeccanica? They sure look right.

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B28494.jpg

bksward

1963 Caddy Convertible pulled up next to me at a light on my way to work today.

A guy I work with is now using a 2002tii as his daily driver...

I drove home on Saturday afternoon to take a quick shower and change clothes. On the way home I was at a light next to a 360 Modena. On the way back out at the same light I saw a Lambo Gallardo.

Mr_Shiftright

The speedster replicas are okay. They're fun but they don't feel anything like the originals. They are still basically plastic Volkswagens and you can tell.

I think if a person didn't know anything about the originals they would be happier, but as soon as I sit inside of one I say "this is all wrong". The VW frame forces the interior, floor pan, etc to be configured differently. There isn't the spaciousness or comfort of the original, nor, of course, the quality of materials.

A toy basically, not to be taken seriously.

jrosasmc

I saw an early Mercedes 190E ('84 or '85, hard to tell) this morning that was actually running. It looked shabby and tired, but it was driving.

Shifty I remember you saying that these early 190Es must be avoided at all costs.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, the early 2.3s. You wanna walk away from those.

However, there is a later 2.3 - 16 valve which is a hoot to drive and that car is worth the trouble. The later 2.6s are better.

The used car market values re-inforce my own prejudices pro and con about the various 2.3 and 2.6 models.

The 16 valve is a minor cult-collectible. People will pay a substantial premium for this model.

andys120

I re watched one of my favorite coming-of-age movies, The Flamingo Kid which takes place in 1963 and features a scad of cool 50s and 60s cars. Not only are the Pontiacs, Dodges and Thunderbirds there but a plot line deals with a dealer of high performance imports. There's a couple of scenes that feature a 250GT California Spider and, unlike the one in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, AFAIK it's a real one, unless they dubbed in the correct V12 sounds.

It's also fun to watch for miscues in the form of cars that weren't around in '63, there weren't many but I did count at least three.

My wife says it has the best movie soundtrack ever.
Ahhh....the Summer of '63!

ajvdh

I love SCCA Solo-II events. We always get at least one really odd vehicle. How about a '67 Corvair convertible? With a 600 HP supercharged Chevy small block sitting where the back seats used to be. A custom built rear suspension, very wide Hoosier slicks all around, and an all-up weight of 2100 lbs.. He was 3rd fastest time of the day. 2nd was a 900 lb. D-sports racer, and 1st was a street legal '95 M3.

Mr_Shiftright

Any Porsche 914s running? They usually do pretty well.

Rare street sighting-- a Lotus XI putt-putting down the road, street legal with plates and everything. Very strange. It's a fairly radical-looking car to be out on a Sunday drive at 25 mph.

ajvdh

No 914s. This was very much a HP course. I was well up into 3rd gear twice on each run, which was wigging me out as I kept picturing myself spinning into a bunch of course workers. The 'vettes and F-stockers were loving it, while the Miata, G and H-stock guys had a distinctly different opinion.

There was a bone-stock Chevy Beretta there. Not what I'd pick as an autocross vehicle. Also a ratty TR8. It took great restraint not to say, "gosh, I didn't know any of those still ran."

lark6

Well I didn't see it today but a few weeks ago in Seattle. Just came back to mind because they're pretty obscure. One thing I like about Seattle is that there are so many well-preserved old cars still in use as daily drivers.

Ed

jrosasmc

Just came back from a local car show held every Tuesday night. My rare sighting of the night: a '53 MG TD that was fully restored and actually running quite well. I wonder how a TD would drive in this modern-day age.

My other sighting was a '70 Volvo 142 coupe, only this was all original, documents were there, 130k original miles, original B20, ran like new. I've heard things about Volvo's quality control in the early '70s, which was, to say the least, shaky.

Mr_Shiftright

TDs drive okay if you are 5' 8" or under and not in a hurry to get anywhere. Good clean primitive fun.

I don't like TDs at all because the wheels are way too small for the car. They look funny. TCs are more classic, and the later TFs are prettier all 'round IMO.

The TD was developed to cater to American tastes but it's no coincidence that of the TC, TD, and TF lineage, the TD is often worth the least.

wimsey1

recently spotted two Chrysler Conquests, one was far enough away it could have been a Mitsu Starion.
also a nice Karmann Ghia coupe.

ajvdh-re:Berreta That's the cool thing about auto cross, even if your car is not great, you can improve yor skills and times. It's you and the clock. And if he beats anyone with that Berreta he knows it wasn't the car!

ajvdh

I started doing auto-x to sharpen my skills for track events, and wound up getting hooked. I've also found out just how many really talented drivers there are out there. I guess some people'd think it nuts to stand around in a parking lot for 6 hours for just 4 minutes of racing time.

The Beretta guy did beat one car, a '90 Corolla. Speaking of which, I saw something funny at a BMW auto-x a couple of weeks ago: Embarassing is showing up in a modified Viper, and getting beaten by a bunch of 4-cylinder BMWs. Really embarassing is getting shooled to the tune of 2.5 seconds on a 60 second run by a late '90s, bone-stock Lincoln Mark VIII on all-season tires.

andys120

1948/49ish Buick 4 dr sedan looking elegant with black bodywork setting off the chrome. Looked like it could've used a waxing though.

A late 50's or early 60s F-150 P'up with a repaint in a dark mettallic red.

andyman73

I recently saw 2 Jags, D types I think. One was very much loved, the other in need of much TLC. Saw a little bitty Alfa roadster, of late 50s vintage, very very much loved, nice putt putt sounding exhuast. Coworker has a nice Conquest TSI. Neighbor just purchased a Pontiac Silver Streak with straight 8. Runs and looks very nice. Local family hoards Studes, has about 15 all told, including several supercharged,and a pickup or two. Saw a "Tin Lizzie" on 322 near Philly, moving on down the road, was very loved. There is atleast one Lil Red Express here in town. Saw a decent Cordoba for sale for Andre.

kyfdx

'56 Chevy on the way to work... nice two-tone, blue/white.. Looked correct and recently restored..

andys120

You probably didn't see D-types, at least not on public roads as they were race cars, lacking windshields wipers or tops and they're fairly rare.

http://www.foltyn.cz/jaguar_d/jaguar_d_1v.jpg

Perhaps they were E-types.

Mr_Shiftright

To say nothing of being worth 1.5 million dollars apiece!

They seem to come with variously modified bodywork, so the one in the link may not be all-original. I've seen some with cleaner lines. Old race cars often got smashed up, so variations in body style aren't uncommon.

Hoo-hah, that's one silly looking driver in that car!

alfox

silly-looking drivers, I mean.

Mr_Shiftright

I have two pet peeves (kept chained in the back yard) concerning silly drivers:

1. The driver who takes his collector car to a car show and dresses up in the wrong period costume. He's wearing 1910 clothes in a 1930s car or vice-versa. You'd think he take a minute to get it right.

2. Women in big straw hats driving convertibles at 22 mph because of the big straw hats.

As they say,referring to the above, there are three things you never bring on a sailboat: an umbrella, a bicycle and....hey, what was the third one?

turboshadow

I know you have more than two pet peeves chained in the backyard. Unleash them and show them to the world. You'll feel oh so much better.

You may get a phone call from the higher ups at Edmunds, though:

"Yeah, Shifty. Could you come to my office about 3:45? Yeah. Might want to bring all your personal belongings with you."

LOL!!!

Turboshadow

Mr_Shiftright

I've mellowed over the years I'm afraid.

Have you ever come to like a car you hated? This happens to me now and then. Definitely a sign of aging.

lemko

If I ever start liking the 1973-77 GM "Colonnade" midsizers, I'm going for some counseling!