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

stickguy

My restomod 1980 Volvo 240 is sounding like a better and better idea.

Well, that and just leasing if the car has all the fancy stuff. Maybe keep the RDX forever. That has zero nannies.

Mr_Shiftright

Leasing is the future I think.

fintail

Leasing has been growing for sure. It's an easier way to keep up with tech and not worry about repairs - but at a price. I still use a 5-7 year rule in my head, if one must have a new car - if you want to keep it for that long, buy it. If you'll be bored in 2-3 years, lease it.

Tech wise, cars have advanced a lot this century. My sister often drives their Subaru Tribeca, which I think is an 06-07 model. Even as a high spec version, the ICE seems quaint and almost kind of vintage compared to new cars. My mom's Camry, from the same era, feels closer to the fintail than a high spec new model in terms of tech. This tech can be a boon and a downfall if repairs are needed.

Decent body and paint also costs a fortune these days, enough to hasten the totaling of older cars. I see many on CL with title issues who show the prior damage - it takes nothing to total a car worth 5K on a good day. I think C&D had a long term test of an E wagon, which was hit by a truck trailer turning a corner or something - hit the pillars above the beltline, didn't look too insane, but apparently difficult enough to fix that the car was written off.

andre1969

Well, spring is definitely in the air...I spotted this, on the way home from work yesterday...


Oh, and remember that copper/brown 450SL I spotted at work a few weeks back? I found out who owns it, and this is almost ironic, in a way. It belongs to a guy who normally drives a Prius, and fits the "smug" "holier than thou" stereotype. Well, turns out the Prius got creamed in an accident, so now he's driving this thing! I know it's not a particularly "dirty" car in the overall scheme of things, but somehow, it still seems like poetic justice!

andre1969

On my lunch break, I went out to the old house, to try and rearrange the cars. I had them with the Catalina all the way in back on the left, blocked in by the New Yorker in front of it. On the right the LeMans was all the way in the back, with the DeSoto in front.

A few weeks ago, I wanted to rearrange them, to get the Catalina out. I knew the NYer wouldn't start, so my plan was to get the DeSoto and LeMans out, push the NYer as far forward as I could, but not let it roll off the concrete, otherwise it would be a pain to push back, and then work the Catalina out. Only problem is, the LeMans wouldn't start, totally dead. The Catalina would crank, but wouldn't start. Only the DeSoto started.

Well, today, it was a lot warmer. DeSoto and LeMans fired up, no problem. Alas, the Catalina still won't start. So, I decided the hell with it, and pushed it out by hand. Here's a little photoshoot of my fiasco...


These first two show the Catalina partially pushed out of its spot.


Here's the New Yorker, pushed into where the Catalina had been.



And, finally, here's the DeSoto, waiting to come back in, to where the New Yorker had been.

Playing "musical chairs" with two-ton-plus cars, when half of them won't start, is a bit of a back breaker! I'm ready for a nap!

kyfdx

If you ever consolidate, keep the DeSoto and the Catalina!

andre1969

Oh, I intend to! I actually plan on getting rid of that New Yorker. There are a few parts I want to get off of it, to put on my 5th Avenue first. Oh, and the brakes went out on the '76 LeMans...pedal goes to the floor. It's perfectly safe for maneuvering around in the yard, as it will stop eventually, but probably not a good idea to take it out on the road! So, looks like that one's due for a trip to the shop...

it's weird to think that, after all these years, the DeSoto is now the most dependable of my old cars!

berri

IMHO, the best looker too!

explorerx4

Like that commercial,,, "If the brakes don't' stop it, something will".

andre1969

berri said:

IMHO, the best looker too!

Funny thing is, since it's been fixed up, it actually feels like it handles pretty well. Obviously nobody's going to mistake it for a Ferrari, but the few times I've driven it since I've gotten it back, it handles surprisingly well in modern traffic. It has radial tires, which I'm sure help somewhat. I don't think the steering has been modernized in any way, just upgraded...so about how it should have handled when it was new and if they'd had radial tires back then.

It definitely has a little kick to it, as well. The 341-2bbl Hemi was rated at 270 hp gross, which I guess would be maybe 200 net? Not much, by today's standards, but I guess it's pretty torquey. And it has a somewhat quick 3.31:1 axle, whereas my other old cars have stuff like a 2.56:1 (Catalina), 2.41:1 (LeMans) and 2.45:1 (New Yorker and 5th Ave). Again, I'm not going to confuse it with the Hemi in my Ram, but it's still not bad, for the time. Actually, I seem to recall Consumer Reports griping about the DeSotos being over-powered in 1957. That sounds like something they'd whine about

berri

That's around the introduction of Mopar torsion bars I think

bhill2

bhill2 said:

andre1969 said:

Actually, I seem to recall Consumer Reports griping about the DeSotos being over-powered in 1957. That sounds like something they'd whine about

Oh yeah. I remember about '65 when they rated a Pontiac Lemans with a 326 as 'excessively powerful'. If they had tested a GTO they probably would have had a stroke.

omarman

Faulty electronics can send a lot of things back to their maker faster than a spinning turbo.

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, I dunno. sometimes a head remover might come in handy in the family van.

thebean

Marie Antoinette edition.

sda

Not a good pic, my neighbor's 98 Regal LS 25th anniversary edition, gray leather, sunroof, original owner, very clean, less than 55000 mi.

Mr_Shiftright

thebean said:

Marie Antoinette edition.

Didn't the French call the convertible Citroen " decopatable"? I wonder if it's the same root word in French as decapitate? After all, they know all about close haircuts.

https://www.motor1.com/news/47569/rare-1968-citroen-ds-21-decapotable-for-sale-in-the-netherlands/

omarman

Decopatable from the Latin caput with the diminutive French suffix -ote and found in the Collins French as "capote."

As an example, "Throw Truman Capote out of the car. First put the top down." Decopatable.

tjc78

sda said:

Not a good pic, my neighbor's 98 Regal LS 25th anniversary edition, gray leather, sunroof, original owner, very clean, less than 55000 mi.

There were certainly worse cars in the late 90s. I like it.

stickguy

I always thought that was a nice looking car. Olds Intrigue too.

berri

Liked the looks on the Intrigue big time

tjc78

I know I’ve mentioned before but I was really close to getting a 99 Intrigue with the 3.5. It was a really nice car, but I ultimately decided on a leftover loaded 98 88 with the 3800. That didn’t end well!

roadburner

I thought the first generation Aurora was gorgeous.

tjc78

roadburner said:

I thought the first generation Aurora was gorgeous.

Yes it was. My cousin just sold his first year very low mileage unit (was his grandpops) to his buddy (who is a long time GM mechanic).

stickguy

dry today, and out driving on some back roads a nice shiny 57 Ford 2 door (I think it was a 57, only got a quick look as it passed). Red and white 2 tone, sounded modded but looked really clean.

texases

Another Rolls sighting - '70ish Silver Shadow, on the road, not like the curb decoration a few blocks from me.

fintail

Like many period cars, Shadows are easy to guesstimate the year based on bumpers. Early cars had bumpers that didn't make a huge statement:



Later cars, while not as bad as the park bench/diving board bumpers on some period MBs, still stand out:

(some of the latest cars also got an air dam)

texases

Yeah, it was the pre-big-bumper version, I was guessing around '70, but who knows.

One very un-Rolls item - a loud exhaust.

fintail

I wonder it it had a SBC conversion - I have seen them before. These already have THM transmissions, I think.

andre1969

roadburner said:

I thought the first generation Aurora was gorgeous.

I always thought it was a looker, too. I kinda liked the second-gen as well, but not nearly as much as the first. I had a chance to drive a '95 once though, and just wasn't that thrilled with it. It belonged to a lady at work, and was this beautiful shade of light blue, almost a bit silvery. If this makes sense, the way the car handled, just didn't seem to live up to its looks. The 2000 Intrepid I had at the time, which was a base model, actually felt more agile. The Aurora had a feel to it, like GM was trying to make it act like a bigger car than it was, but in all the wrong ways...vague steering, a bit wallowy, etc. That, in and of itself, wouldn't have been enough to scare me away from one...after all, I did buy a 2000 Park Ave after the Intrepid got totaled! But, I guess I expected the Aurora to feel sportier, somehow?

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

I wonder it it had a SBC conversion - I have seen them before. These already have THM transmissions, I think.

Yes, GM automatics but with their own Rolls housing. So, probably not a bolt in.

These 70s Rolls would be nice to own, as long as you just sat in it and didn't attempt to put the key in the ignition. You know, be a kid again, and work the steering wheel and make VROOM-VROOM noises. And the smell of that wood and leather---ahhhhh!

I have a good friend who restores these, and Bentleys and other grand ol' British stuff. He's a trained engineer and expert machinist. He also has a lovely house overlooking the Pacific ocean.

fintail

Hydraulic brakes and suspension mixed, what could go wrong?

Mr_Shiftright

Based on a Citroen design, as well. And don't forget to stock up on Rolls brake fluid--on sale now!

https://www.ebay.com/p/Castrol-Hydraulic-System-Mineral-Oil-Plus-for-Rolls-Jaguar-Bentley-Ships-Fast/506488661?iid=142872012065&chn=ps

berri

I remember radio spots on WLS as a teenager talking about Castrol as a performance oil. Of course, then there was the STP additive you could buy too. And of course, the infamous Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge Mopar performance headquarters, as well as fast pitched and paced spots for Great Lakes drag strip (those commercials always used a touch of reverb to amp it up a little more). Brings back memories.

Citroen's may have been kind of weird over here and potential maintenance nightmares, but I also thought they were kind of cool. Got to ride in a Citroen once. An engineer my dad knew owned a DS. Odd inside, but really very comfortable.

kyfdx

My oil cap says, "BMW recommends CASTROL"

berri

Be careful kyfdx. Next thing we know, we'll be hearing BMW supports communist Cuba.

kyfdx

berri said:

Be careful kyfdx. Next thing we know, we'll be hearing BMW supports communist Cuba.

Good thing I didn't drop the L

ab348

kyfdx said:

My oil cap says, "BMW recommends CASTROL"

I remember that the plastic oil fill cap on late ‘60s/early ‘70s BMC B-series engines had recommended motor oil brands moulded into the cap. I was always disappointed we couldn’t buy Duckhams brand oil for it. 🙂

Mr_Shiftright

kyfdx said:

berri said:

Be careful kyfdx. Next thing we know, we'll be hearing BMW supports communist Cuba.

Good thing I didn't drop the L

They would if it paid off.

Mr_Shiftright

ab348 said:

kyfdx said:

My oil cap says, "BMW recommends CASTROL"

I remember that the plastic oil fill cap on late ‘60s/early ‘70s BMC B-series engines had recommended motor oil brands moulded into the cap. I was always disappointed we couldn’t buy Duckhams brand oil for it. 🙂

But you can. I don't know what overseas shipping costs are, but I'm sure air freight wouldn't be more than a pint of Rolls Royce mineral oil

texases

What could (rationally) make that oil worth $200? Oil has one major variable, viscosity, and I bet there's something on the shelf at Walmart that would work...

Mr_Shiftright

Something about a special chemical blend that allow the mixture of mineral oil + DOT 3.

berri

Oh, its Witchcraft

ab348

In the "There's a first time for everything" category, this:




https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1958-citroen-vanstore/

Seems ideal for a swap meet vendor, food & drink truck, whatever. Driving there would not be half the fun, I suspect.

Mr_Shiftright

Camper conversion! Slant Six, 4-speed Dodge truck transmission.

tjc78

In some sick way I think that would be a cool tailgating vehicle.

You would have to swap in some sort of modern powertrain.... maybe that little GM 2.8 V6 would fit in there, or maybe that crappy 2.5 4cyl Ford used in the 80s.

Not much width to put anything much larger.

ab348

Wheeler Dealers did a Citroen HY van a few years ago and found a place in the UK hat makes up Ford 4-cylinder engines with the necessary bracketry and other changes to allow it to fit. Apparently a common swap over there. This may take the same.

ab348

Oh, man, this thing is just gorgeous. The ultimate barge for sure!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-cadillac-eldorado/

tjc78

Yes it is!  I was checking it out earlier. 

Michaell

Surround that thing with a few Fiat 500's to act as tugboats when you dock it.