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

andre1969

Hey Uplander, I know it's still a bit off, but are you planning on going to Hershey again this year? It will be here before we know it!

uplanderguy

You know, I had a room reserved and my Riviera buddy is all-in, but then he only lives in Baltimore, LOL. We both decided that by mid-day the day before the show, we just couldn't walk any further. He has already rented a scooter-type thing and suggested I do too, bringing it with me. I just didn't want to do it, try to squeeze it into a Cruze, and schlep it around out there, so I gave him the room reservation and he said he had another local buddy who would go with him. I would still rather like to be there for the show but I know hotel rooms are impossible now. So I'll probably miss seeing you.

I sold my Studebaker earlier this week and it was picked up last night. It was sold to a guy in FL, a Stude parts vendor, whose Dad invented Gatorade! It's going to a good home. I was sad to see it go, but I'll put the money towards my C8--which is supposed to be built in September! Long story short, I had put a deposit with a big C8 dealer in Maryland named Crisswell Chevrolet. They told me April '24 before they'd even want to know color and options, and the car would be built six weeks after that. I met a guy near me in early June and said "Cancel your deposit there and try Stratton in Beloit, OH. They charge MSRP and only a $73.75 doc fee". Other dealers near me are still adding at least $5K over sticker, insane. Crisswell charges MSRP but a $500 doc fee. So I drove to Beloit and it was the smallest Chevy dealer I've ever seen. Two salesmen--the owner and his son. Wife is the business manager. In business since 1928; three generations. Somehow he made it through the 2009 stuff. I left with an order. He called me a week ago and said he got his 2024 allocations and mine would be his first. I ordered a 2LT convertible, white with red interior, and only option the front-end lift. I loved the Caffeine metallic for 2023 but it's been discontinued and replaced with a broccoli soup green called "Cacti" that I want to like, but just don't.

sda

Congrats on both the sale of the Cruiser and order of the C8. White with red leather is timeless and good looking.

tjc78

@sda said:
Congrats on both the sale of the Cruiser and order of the C8. White with red leather is timeless and good looking.

+1 on that. Can’t wait to see pictures of that bad boy!

fintail

Yes, that C8 will deserve to be shown off.

For obscure cars, spotted a first gen Geo Metro with a pizza delivery sign on the roof - like going back in time 30 years, welcome to Spokane.

sda

@andre1969 Lou Costabile just posted a great video on U-tube of a pristine 58 DeSoto from the Carlisle gathering. I tried to post the link but failed. The car is incredible and great dad-daughter rapport.

ab348

I’m pretty sure it wasn’t available from the factory, but there’s a caveat. Fisher body didn’t build the wagon bodies for those in that era, they were built by a 3rd party (Ionia Manufacturing) and then shipped to Lansing assembly for completion. Theoretically they could build anything somebody wanted. But I found a website devoted to the ‘62 Olds and it has info on the wagons including a list of available equipment. No sunroof was mentioned.

https://www.1962oldsmobile.com/62accessoriesfs.html

I always found that show tended to tell some tall tales.

sda

I went to the Old Car Brochures site and looked at the 62 Olds brochure and didn’t see any mention of an optional sunroof as an option. If you review the video, the sunroof is shown. I guess it was not a factory option. It was kind of amusing as the 62 brochure was hyping up the new slim jim transmission as being smooth and responsive. Hardly smooth and was problem prone.

stickguy

I need that garage.

stickguy

went out to dinner last night, and in the lot was a 1977 El Camino. very nice shape. Interesting that the grill badge said "Malibu Classic"

andre1969

Uplander, we'll miss seeing you at the Hershey show...let me know though, if anything changes last minute! And, congratulations on selling your Studebaker. I'm sure it was a bittersweet moment, seeing it go, but I know you're looking forward to that new C8!

I actually know of Criswell Chevrolet. One of my friends back in college bought a new '89 Cavalier Z24 there. As for that "Cacti" color, I don't hate it, but it doesn't look like something that belongs on a Corvette, or most modern cars for that matter. It would look at home on a 50's car. It also makes me think a bit of that really pale, non-metallic green that GM offered around 1974.

uplanderguy

Our '74 Impala Sport Coupe was that color, which I detested. Only minor saving grace was that it had a white painted roof. I did like that year's green interior...light in color and the Impala cloth seats had kind of a metallic swirl going through them.

uplanderguy

Saw this on FB. I love the color combo, and to my eyes, the '65 is probably the best Chevrolet styling, ever. '65 Caprice Custom Sedan was introduced mid-year and they seem pretty rare to me, but of course in a Chevy, rare probably really isn't all that rare. Just rare compared to regular Impalas, LOL.

andre1969

In another group, someone posted a pic of a 1959 DeSoto Firedome, in a pale green with white top, that makes me think of that 1974 GM color... I imagine if I saw this DeSoto, and a '74 GM product sporting that color, side by side at a car show, there would be a pretty noticeable difference in the two shades of green. But, just looking at pics, they seem similar.

As for the '65 Impala, I think they're just about sheer perfection, when it comes to style. The '66 is also nice, but I just don't care for its front-end as much. The '67-68 are a bit too swoopy, while the '69-70 seemed like they were getting bulked up, and formaled-up a bit, and perhaps tailored to an older audience. But the '65 just seems like the the perfect balance of youth and sportiness, but still with enough big car sensibility. The kind of car that could appeal to young and old, liberal (perhaps not tree-hugger liberal) and conservative alike.

ab348

That DeSoto looks very beige on my screen.

andre1969

Looks like it's a color called "Surf Green". I searched around online, and found it at Bring a Trailer...
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1959-desoto-firedome/

In some pics though, it does seem to lean a bit towards beige-ish, depending on the light/shadow contrast. And, to me at least, the spear looks white in the pic I first posted, but on this site, the spear is that anodized silver stuff, like what they used on the '57-58 Fury.

At least, I think it's the same DeSoto. Can't be too many '59 Firedome 4-doors in that specific color combo, and with those aftermarket wheels.

kyfdx

ab348 said:

That DeSoto looks very beige on my screen.

Pale green all day on my screen... FYI

stickguy

Same. Definitely a mint green.

ab348

kyfdx said:

ab348 said:

That DeSoto looks very beige on my screen.

Pale green all day on my screen... FYI

On my second external monitor I can see a bit of a greenish tinge to it that wasn't there on the laptop screen but if you told me it was beige I wouldn't argue in either case. When I go to the BaT page the pics there do look like pea soup green though. I cannot explain why the pic Andre posted had the side spear look white when on BaT it is clearly not, unless that silver metal stuff was found after the Andre pic was taken and installed later,

uplanderguy

That DeSoto does look like the '74 GM light green non-metallic to me.

The '65 big Chevy styling is so clean IMHO. No need for chromed louvers or fake vents or hockey sticks down below the beltline!

I was looking at a website dedicated to those cars, and there were several dealer invoices for the cars. I was pretty surprised to see padded dash and 'two-speed wipers with washers' optional extras that late. Studebaker had padded dash standard a few years before, and at least two-speed wipers were standard years earlier. Similarly, I've seen window stickers for cars like a '65 Bonneville, that showed an extra charge for 'front seat foam padding'.

kyfdx

Museum in Dayton, OH

uplanderguy

I was in there in the '90's and am glad it's still around.

Funny that there are two separate Packard museums in Ohio; this one, and one in Warren, OH.

texases

A mid-'70s Eldorado convertible on the way in to work. Too bad they didn't put the top down, first time in weeks when the temp has been bearable. Looked good, except the plastic between body and rear bumper was primered, must have been replacement parts.

sda

@uplanderguy said:
I was in there in the '90's and am glad it's still around.

Funny that there are two separate Packard museums in Ohio; this one, and one in Warren, OH.

There is also the Packard proving grounds and director's house just outside of Detroit. A collection of Packards is on display as well.

stickguy

New house up the road just sold. Noticed today the buyer has an old Lincoln in the garage. Just saw the very tail but somewhere I think in mid to late 60s.

fintail

From a fintail group - I though this was interesting. A W111 220 (lowline 6 cyl car, note the single rear bumper, lack of upper rear fender chrome, and small rear lights like on a 4 cyl car) somewhere in Germany or Austria, 1963, on European delivery plates (the car is dark blue, which doesn't translate well in the old photos):








The car survives today, same family, still has the invoice - original buyer checked some uncommon boxes - bench seat, dual mirrors, sunroof, not to mention wide whites. Invoice lists a price of $3361, but I think that might be net of a deposit, seems maybe a grand cheaper than I would have expected:

uplanderguy

Not sure I've ever seen one without the molding at the top of the rear quarters.

fintail

The lack of rear quarter molding at top was for 4 cyl models, and that lone lowline 220 (not S/SE) 6 cyl car. 4 cyl cars 1965+ lacked both the chrome at top, and the chrome on the fin - so they looked like this (one of those cases where the de-chromed model was probably more expensive to make than the chromed model, due to the required finish work by hand):



These little differences (along with badging) are some of the few ways to tell the model and rough year of a fintail.

explorerx4

For some reason this popped up. You don't see these every day.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/vdp.action?listingId=349117805&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d1731&pid=mini_vdp_main_image#listing=349117805

stickguy

saw a 1964 Impala out driving around today. Pretty nice looking. and a chrome bumper MGB yesterday.

roadburner

explorerx4 said:

For some reason this popped up. You don't see these every day.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/vdp.action?listingId=349117805&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d1731&pid=mini_vdp_main_image#listing=349117805

We had a Scorpio; too bad Ford lacked even a shred of a clue about how to market those cars.

roadburner

@uplanderguy : Corgi Golden Hawk

fintail

Merkur has apparently been listed for 200 days - might be a sign to the seller that his price is optimistic.

If uplanderguy ever wants to collect diecast Studebakers, there were some good ones made contemporary to the 1:1 cars as well. Corgi had that Hawk and Dinky had some nice ones too. I suspect that new C8 will become more of a time and money priority though

uplanderguy

Spotted outside the BMV today. ‘68 deVille convertible. “Standard of the World”.

stickguy

Not even close to being in that parking spot.

uplanderguy

Thanks for posting that Corgi Golden Hawk!

The side glass looks to be a pillared coupe--Silver Hawk!

My entire life, I've really liked the '65 Wagonaire put out by Matchbox. It came with a plastic hunter with rifle, and two hunting dogs. I've had a couple of these over the years.

In the '80's sometime, JoHan re-released its '62 Lark convertible kit. It was pretty nice as a 1/25 kit although the front wheel openings were noticeably rounder than on the actual cars. I believe this was based on the original '62 promo car.

I have a couple Franklin and/or Danbury Mint Studes--really nice '63 Avanti, and a '57 Golden Hawk. Both 1/25 scale. I always wished they'd have done a Gran Turismo Hawk.

roadburner

uplanderguy said:

Thanks for posting that Corgi Golden Hawk!

The side glass looks to be a pillared coupe--Silver Hawk!

My entire life, I've really liked the '65 Wagonaire put out by Matchbox. It came with a plastic hunter with rifle, and two hunting dogs. I've had a couple of these over the years.

In the '80's sometime, JoHan re-released its '62 Lark convertible kit. It was pretty nice as a 1/25 kit although the front wheel openings were noticeably rounder than on the actual cars. I believe this was based on the original '62 promo car.

I have a couple Franklin and/or Danbury Mint Studes--really nice '63 Avanti, and a '57 Golden Hawk. Both 1/25 scale. I always wished they'd have done a Gran Turismo Hawk.

I've collected and built model cars since the 1960s. These days it seems that if you wait long enough most any car you want will eventually be available in one scale or another.

explorerx4

Saw this battleship over on the right while out in the convertible today.

uplanderguy

That's a Fleetwood Sixty Special for '59. The '59 is a lot of overkill of course, but I never saw many Fleetwoods back in the day or now.

fintail

uplanderguy said:

Thanks for posting that Corgi Golden Hawk!

The side glass looks to be a pillared coupe--Silver Hawk!

My entire life, I've really liked the '65 Wagonaire put out by Matchbox. It came with a plastic hunter with rifle, and two hunting dogs. I've had a couple of these over the years.

In the '80's sometime, JoHan re-released its '62 Lark convertible kit. It was pretty nice as a 1/25 kit although the front wheel openings were noticeably rounder than on the actual cars. I believe this was based on the original '62 promo car.

I have a couple Franklin and/or Danbury Mint Studes--really nice '63 Avanti, and a '57 Golden Hawk. Both 1/25 scale. I always wished they'd have done a Gran Turismo Hawk.

I think Jo-Han had a range of obscure kits at one time, some of them in odd scales I think, that seemed to be related to promos.

Dinky had a Hawk, too - this is a non-inexpensive model in box today:



There was also a retro type model maybe in the 80s:



And before the Hawk, a coupe simply labeled as a "Commander" - this too is a desirable model:



Come to think of it, no diecast Larks other than the Matchbox and Husky Wagonaires come to mind.

andre1969

Finally, a Suburban I can afford!

explorerx4

Until you fill it up!

andre1969

True. I wonder what kind of mileage that 454 would get?
A 2023 Suburban, even with the 6.2 V8 and 4wd, is rated 14/18 city/highway. In my opinion, that's actually pretty respectable for something of that heft.

I imagine it would take an act of Congress, almost, to get that '84 even into the double digits, unless you drove it very gently.

fintail

Wow, seldom see them so loaded or clean. Those things (and conversion vans) were like the S-Class of farmer families when I was a kid in eastern WA in the 80s.

About 1/3 the price of a late model used one, and maybe easier to live with too, I've heard stories about the DOD being troublesome in the long run.

sda

I remember our 76 GMC Sierra 15 routinely got 8-11mpg. It was a 350 4bbl, Full time 4wd, auto, ps, pb, no ac.

texases

Our '95 K1500 Suburban typically got 12 mpg, 350 w/TBI, part time 4WD, seldom used. So yes, I think 10 mpg would be great for that 454.

stickguy

at least you can tow your house with the burban.

uplanderguy

Man, I like that Dinky '55 Commander. Never saw one before.

fintail

uplanderguy said:

Man, I like that Dinky '55 Commander. Never saw one before.

Dinky did a couple other postwar Studes too:





Someone who worked for the model maker must have had some interest in Studebaker. These were sold worldwide, not just US market offerings.

uplanderguy

Boy, I'm surprised at the '57 President. Not a very popular Stude. Looks like a nice job though.

Not a benefit at the time, but one thing I liked about this-era Stude was the combination of trim width and low beltline, both a bit odd in the industry at the time.