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

kyfdx

My car collector friend had one of these. I'd never heard of it, until I saw it in his collection.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a12157309/the-macho-ta-was-a-brilliant-car-with-a-silly-name/

andre1969

I'd say those turbo Trans Ams are probably one of the more interesting cars from 1980-81. But, that kind of mentality really only has meaning if you have a particular fetish for that particular era. I'll admit I like a lot of cars from that era, but there aren't that many that I'd be willing to spend a ton of money on.

stickguy

Wonder what they sold for? You need to register to see results. But I would love one of those.

fintail

I'm glad I was 4 in 1981 and not in the market for a new car That year, my mom still had her big T-Bird, and that was about the time of my dad's Horizon.

andre1969

About the main thing I remember from 1981 was my paternal grandparents buying a new Granada 2-door, and thinking how ritzy it looked. But, we were easily fooled back in those days...

There's a lot of cars from that era that I think are good looking...mainly because I like larger cars, and in '81 there was still a pretty good, if shrinking, selection of them. But, good looking, and "good to live with" aren't necessarily the same thing. What was it Eugene Levy said to Clark Griswold..."You may hate it now, but wait til you drive it!"

In retrospect, I don't remember my grandparents' '81 Granada being a bad car. They were simply used to trading roughly every 3-4 years, and when '85 came around, they bought a "small" LTD. I remember they lamented the fact that you couldn't get a 2-door anymore, and they had actually preferred the Granada's more conservative, upright styling...more "prestigious" I guess.

I'm sure with the 200-6 cyl, that Granada had to be horribly slow, but there were so many dogs on the road back then, it probably wasn't that much of a hinderance in everyday driving.

As for being in the market for a car...oddly enough, I don't like the idea of having to shop for a new car, today! There's just nothing out there that really excites me anymore, and for the most part they're all pretty good these days, so your chances of getting a total turd are probably pretty slim. But, I dunno...maybe that takes some of the...adventure, out of buying a car?

fintail

I have kind of the same issue - cars are amazing today in terms of reliability and low-maintenance ease of use, but not much in my price range gets me excited, at least for new cars. Iffy styling and tech that quickly goes from cool to antique doesn't help.

This maybe was a discussion in the past, choosing a new car in 1981 - and that being a reasonably priced mass market car, so I can't choose a MB 300SD (which was probably the ideal choice then, but cost 30-35K in those dollars). I suppose domestic full-sizers were pretty solid, something like a Caprice or LTD or their platform siblings. Also maybe something like a Cressida or 810/Maxima would be nice, or an Accord sedan (I am saying this from a west coast view, no real rust worries). 1982 had a host of new models, some better than others.

ab348

fintail said:

I have kind of the same issue - cars are amazing today in terms of reliability and low-maintenance ease of use, but not much in my price range gets me excited, at least for new cars. Iffy styling and tech that quickly goes from cool to antique doesn't help.

I am in the same boat. I think if I hadn't decided I wanted the ATS I would have gotten something pretty practical, like a Kia Forte hatch, a Cruze hatch or a Golf.

If I had the money back in '81 I would have probably bought a Regal or Cutlass Supreme 2-door.

andre1969

ab348 said:

I am in the same boat. I think if I hadn't decided I wanted the ATS I would have gotten something pretty practical, like a Kia Forte hatch, a Cruze hatch or a Golf.

If I had the money back in '81 I would have probably bought a Regal or Cutlass Supreme 2-door.

I was always a sucker for the '81 re-skin of the Grand Prix, although I've heard that, at the time, it didn't go over well with the public. The Regal and the Cutlass were nice too. I wasn't so crazy about the Monte Carlo though. I liked the exterior style enough, but just didn't care for the interior, at least on the base models. It's been so long since I've seen one though, I can't quite put my finger on why, though. It might have been something as simple as I just didn't like a fabric texture, or the way the vinyl and fabric clashed, or something. It did seem like, back then though, a Grand Prix, Cutlass Supreme, or Regal coupe, even in base form, was a step up from the Monte.

I REALLY like the style of the Mirada and Cordoba LS, but don't know if I would have bought one in 1981. I'm sure Chrysler's financial condition, as well as the state of the whole economy, might have swayed me. It's easy to say nowadays yeah, I would've taken one with a 318-4bbl, if I could find one (the 4-bbl might have just been CA/high altitude by then though), but back then, when you didn't know when the local gas station was going to run out of fuel, or how much prices were going to shoot up next week, or what interest rates were about to do the next cycle, probably would have had a big impact.

As for today, well even though there's nothing that really excites me, I could see myself being happy with a Charger, I guess. But then, there's a slight practical twinge that pushes me toward a Durango. I'm trying not to jump on the SUV/crossover bandwagon, but I've noticed that, the older I get, it seems like they're easier to get into. Plus roomier, more cargo area, etc.

Mr_Shiftright

kyfdx said:

My car collector friend had one of these. I'd never heard of it, until I saw it in his collection.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a12157309/the-macho-ta-was-a-brilliant-car-with-a-silly-name/

Reminds me of the "Muy Macho" sketch from Saturday Night Live.

Mr_Shiftright

andre1969 said:

Back in the 1990's, my supervisor had one of those Turbo Trans Ams. I'm pretty sure it was a Pace Car edition, but for some reason I keep thinking it was an '81. Did they maybe pace the Indy 500 in '80 and something else, like the Daytona 500 or something in '81, perhaps?

Anyway, I remember he got his nose out of joint when I bought my '67 Catalina, saying I should have bought his car. Yeah, because one is so much like the other...

I think he did finally sell it, a few years later, for around $3-4K. It wasn't some low-mileage time capsule though...just a used car at that time.

Yes in 1981 Pontiac produced the NASCAR Pace Car--similar to this one but with black accents.

fintail

I've always liked the curved grille on the Cutlass. Here's a good one - wheels, metal roof, nice color:

omarman

New car shopping in 1981 on this page would put me in the Olds Cutlass LS for $9k.
Next option would be the GMC 3/4 ton pickup for just over $7k.
Picked last would probably be the Datsun 310 just over $6k with air.

My BIL just bought a new 1980 310 which was a nimble fun to drive little car that he wrecked by 1981.
edit to add: check out the APR for payment shoppers

stickguy

was just thinking about the 310 the other day. Because my sister bought one new in 1981, when she graduated college. Blue over blue vinyl. Stick shift (and I think a 4 speed). No AC. She did not really enjoy that combo when she moved to the DC area. Was not a nice car to drive. Not sure how long she put up with it before trading on a Mazda 323.

kyfdx

fintail said:

I've always liked the curved grille on the Cutlass. Here's a good one - wheels, metal roof, nice color:

Reminds me of the current Pilot/Ridgeline front end..

xwesx

tjc78 said:

I wouldn’t want that car. But have to say I don’t hate it. 

I think the undercarriage has a lot of patina for an essentially undriven car.  I suppose if you put it on a lift it would detail up nice with a little effort 

To be fair, it is probably the fact that my mother had one of these that ruined me on having any affection for them. However, this is not representative of "80's style." This is a holdover of 1970s styling which, as bad as it was in many cases, was MUCH better than the 1980s.

Here's 1980's style, in Trans Am form:

fintail

I love reading old papers in the google archives. Here's the Sunday car section from the largest paper nearest me (as far as I can tell) available for around this time in 1981 - not the most exciting new cars, but the used cars are fun

ab348

Talk of the '81 Datsun 310 reminds me that in '81 me, my college buddy and a friend of his decided we would drive to Boston to watch a few Red Sox games that spring. The buddy had just bought a Datsun wagon, either a 210 or 310, so we took that. It was a total crapwagon. I remember us buzzing along I-95 through Maine and the wind caused the door frames to pull away from the body, creating even more noise inside the car. These were metal-framed windows too, must have used soda can metal for the frames. Did not inspire me to buy a Datsun.

ab348

fintail said:

I've always liked the curved grille on the Cutlass. Here's a good one - wheels, metal roof, nice color:

That's what I visualized in my mind's eye. It was hard to get good colors on them as most came in muted shades of silver, gray, green or tan. A co-worker had a boyfriend who owned a white one with a blue vinyl half-roof and blue buckets inside that I quite liked.

ab348

Oh my! If this was near me I could see myself getting quite excited.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-chrysler-lebaron-town-country-2/

I particularly love the green interior. How a 1978 Chrysler anything has remained in pristine condition for so long is a true mystery.

kyfdx

ab348 said:

Talk of the '81 Datsun 310 reminds me that in '81 me, my college buddy and a friend of his decided we would drive to Boston to watch a few Red Sox games that spring. The buddy had just bought a Datsun wagon, either a 210 or 310, so we took that. It was a total crapwagon. I remember us buzzing along I-95 through Maine and the wind caused the door frames to pull away from the body, creating even more noise inside the car. These were metal-framed windows too, must have used soda can metal for the frames. Did not inspire me to buy a Datsun.

If it was a wagon, I think it had to be a 210.

AFAIK, the 310 was a FWD hatchback, only.

omarman

L code 360 engine was a good option. Maybe it's not the E58 police version but still...

andre1969

omarman said:

New car shopping in 1981 on this page would put me in the Olds Cutlass LS for $9k.
Next option would be the GMC 3/4 ton pickup for just over $7k.
Picked last would probably be the Datsun 310 just over $6k with air.

My BIL just bought a new 1980 310 which was a nimble fun to drive little car that he wrecked by 1981.
edit to add: check out the APR for payment shoppers

I wonder if those odd 16.5" tires would have been hard to find? Back in 2000, I found an old 1974 or so Travco motorhome I got tempted to buy, and I remember it had some odd size, like a 19.5". I also remember it having something called a "split rim" that, I forget what it was, but when described to me, sounded kinda scary.

stickguy

IsellHondas will tell you all about split rims. I can't quite conceptualize what they look like, but I know you don't want to be anywhere near a tire shop if they are working with them.

texases

Here's a look:

Mr_Shiftright

I was reading up on those recently. When one of them was "test exploded", it blew a 215 lb manikin 10 feet into the air.

benjaminh

Mr_Shiftright said:

I was reading up on those recently. When one of them was "test exploded", it blew a 215 lb manikin 10 feet into the air.

Holy heck.

explorerx4

Probably rare and in nice condition, but I don't like the continental kit.
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/d/1952-lincon-capri/6637589071.html

berri

I believe the 52-54 Lincoln's were the ones setting records in the Baja (or some such) Mexican/Pan American races. While that was quite the accomplishment, I sometimes wonder if it took the buyer perception away from luxury like Cadillac and maybe held Lincoln down for some years after???

Mr_Shiftright

They looked too similar to Mercurys at that time. People saw them and thought "Ford".

tjc78

ab348 said:

Oh my! If this was near me I could see myself getting quite excited.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-chrysler-lebaron-town-country-2/

I particularly love the green interior. How a 1978 Chrysler anything has remained in pristine condition for so long is a true mystery.

Is that the same basic car as an 80s Chrysler 5th Avenue? Engine bay and dash look almost identical except for trim.

berri

They piled the lipstick on that baby. Heck, it would have fit right in during '58 or 59 You know what though, I like the sucker!

ab348

tjc78 said:

Is that the same basic car as an 80s Chrysler 5th Avenue? Engine bay and dash look almost identical except for trim.

Yes. 1978 was the first year for this LeBaron style, a step up from the much maligned Aspen and Volare.

uplanderguy

Seen at a local cruise I attended tonight with my Stude--this car could make a Mopar guy out of me--'66 Coronet 500, bought by the current owner at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale some years back. Supposedly original owner was an executive-type from Maryland who had a summer home in FL and kept this car there until he was too old to go to FL anymore and sold it to someone back home in MD:

uplanderguy

At same cruise-in locally--nice driver-quality '71 Riviera GS with buckets, console and floor shift.

andre1969

ab348 said:

Yes. 1978 was the first year for this LeBaron style, a step up from the much maligned Aspen and Volare.

Yeah, somehow it seemed like Mopar managed to get the M-body more or less right, right from the start. Sure, you had your typical 70's-car problems, but it didn't seem to have all the teething problems that other cars had. But then, it really wasn't *that* different from the Aspen/Volare.

Still, when the Omni/Horizon were launched for '78, they were troublesome. The '79 R-body, which was really just a heavily reworked version of the old '71-78 intermediates passing off as a new, downsized full-sized car, had a lot of issues its first year out. The '80 J-body (Mirada/Cordoba), despite being based on the F/M body, seemed like they were poorly put together for the whole '80-83 run.

But, the M-body just seemed like a good, solid, durable car through its entire run. It usually tended to score "Average" in Consumer Reports car reliability ratings, which was about as good as a domestic could get in those days.

fintail

Regarding the Lincoln, I suspect 10x as many cars of that era wear continental kits today as had them in the 50s.

tjc78

My parent’s neighbor bought an 86 Fifth Ave new. He put close to 250k on the original engine and trans before finally dumping it in the early 2000s for a Grand Marquis.  

bhill2

fintail said:

Regarding the Lincoln, I suspect 10x as many cars of that era wear continental kits today as had them in the 50s.

Easily. My memories go back well into the '50s, and a continental kit on something like a Lincoln Capri (or almost any other American car) would have elicited stares and giggles.

ggsamson

I saw an Eleanor Mustang Shelby GT500.

sda

The leather interiors in the LeBarons was especially nice. Not over done, comfortable and the leather was supple, not hard and vinyl like.

fintail

The green in that LeBaron is attractive, too. Nice old car. Like the Olds 88 discussed earlier, also a car seen in "Sixteen Candles", but just in background scenes.

On the road today spotted a blue 356 cabrio - top down, and a 1st gen Bronco.

andre1969

I think I just did a bad thing...I posted that green LeBaron link in...okay, don't laugh...the "National R-body Owner's Association" on Facebook. (even if it's an M-body, it seems like the Malaise-era Mopar crowd sticks together). And someone responded that he's bidding on it! I just hope I'm not aiding and abetting in someone's addiction!

fintail

I'd love to goad someone into buying an old car they don't need.

Here's the downsized Seville I frequently see at work (excuse the poor pic, hard to get a pic as it was parked in tight, dark, and I was apparently not standing still):

stickguy

must have been nice yesterday. People out driving. First saw a 65ish (maybe 66) Ford convertible. Very clean looking.

then, a definitely modded 68 or 69 Cougar. Electic blue with black stripes. Hood scoops and pins (had to explain what those were to the wife). Big wheels and tires, and from what I could see from behind, not a stock suspension and rear end. And it sounded fast. stick shift too! Caught a glimpse of the dash (it was next to me on a 2 lane local road) and it looked like a custom set up (seemed like a Tesla or Volvo center screen). Would have loved to been able to check it over parked. But someone put a lot of money into it.

imidazol97

1962-3 or so Rambler wagon. Red with white roof. All shined up. Maybe it will be at a local church car show this afternoon.




Like this

stickguy

I like the yellow gremlin in front of it. reminds me of the one I had many years ago. same color.

uplanderguy

That little Seville actually looks pretty nice; like it could be livable in today's environment.

tjc78

uplanderguy said:

That little Seville actually looks pretty nice; like it could be livable in today's environment.

Nothing on the road today has skinny A and C pillars like that.  Instead we rely on cameras and sensors to see for us

fintail

Whoever has it loves it, as they keep it fairly spotless. I have respect for a usually unloved car that someone is cherishing.

There's something else along those lines near me. Someone has an early 00s Taurus, and it isn't just kept pristinely clean, it appears to have been lowered a little, has subtle aftermarket wheels, and aftermarket lights. Of all the things to be devoted to, but they appear to be doing it right.

uplanderguy said:

That little Seville actually looks pretty nice; like it could be livable in today's environment.

uplanderguy

Mostly because it looks like it's a year old, but I think I like that Seville now better than I did back when they were new.