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

sda

I always questioned the safety of having the top of the gas tank be the trunk floor. Cheaper and quicker to install, yes, safe, no. I don't recall seeing any GM cars so equipped. Gas tanks mounted behind the driver's seat in a standard pick up, which I believe was common for Ford, GM, Chrysler, was also a questionable set up.

fintail

It likely was, I think cars of those years still wore an "Automatic" trunk badge when equipped with such. An automatic diesel fintail might not be practical for modern highway driving, unless you have a very long on-ramp, and a low speed limit.

Here's a list of fintail colors, many of these were made for several years

imidazol97 said:

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I didn't look inside--I assume it was manual transmission? The color was rich, it was like the mahogany of some old furniture pieces.

ab348

Back in the '60s and '70s gas tanks were vulnerable in many cars. I remember in the early '80s visiting the area of Bangor, Maine and was staying across the river in Brewer. One early evening I was at a set of traffic lights on a fairly busy road there when a car rear-ended a '71-'74 Dodge Charger waiting to turn at the cross-street - probably hit at 25-30mph. The tank ruptured and the street around the car was covered with gasoline. A minor miracle back then that someone with a careless cigarette didn't set it ablaze. Quite scary.

stever

sda said:

I always questioned the safety of having the top of the gas tank be the trunk floor. Cheaper and quicker to install, yes, safe, no. I don't recall seeing any GM cars so equipped. Gas tanks mounted behind the driver's seat in a standard pick up, which I believe was common for Ford, GM, Chrysler, was also a questionable set up.

If we'd been driving EVs the last 100 years and Elon came out with a new drivetrain that used an explosive and volatile gas to power it, he'd been run out of town as a lunatic, dangerous to the public weal.

texases

As much as I didn't like filling up GM cars at the gas station, with the cap behind the license plate (slow fills, spills, etc more common with them), it was MUCH safer than what Ford and others were doing. The GM tank and filler were completely outside of the trunk.

ab348

stever said:

sda said:

I always questioned the safety of having the top of the gas tank be the trunk floor. Cheaper and quicker to install, yes, safe, no. I don't recall seeing any GM cars so equipped. Gas tanks mounted behind the driver's seat in a standard pick up, which I believe was common for Ford, GM, Chrysler, was also a questionable set up.

If we'd been driving EVs the last 100 years and Elon came out with a new drivetrain that used an explosive and volatile gas to power it, he'd been run out of town as a lunatic, dangerous to the public weal.

Imagine if the motorcycle had not been invented until nowadays. People would say the proponents had a death wish.

uplanderguy

RE.: that fintail--I have an excellent set of those red Ohio 1966 license plates, front and rear, that I'd used on my '66 Studebaker Daytona Sports Sedan. I don't know anyone else in my local club with a '66 Studebaker. Seems like somebody would want them, reasonable.

EDIT: Geez, I have three red '66 Ohio plates--one still in a plastic bag I bought at a flea market somewhere. I also have the two blue and white '63 Ohio plates I used on my '63 Lark in my sig pic...not quite as a nice as the '66's. I probably should run an ad in the paper or on the SDC forum.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/7725779722_497a6fe590_k.jpg

sda

fintail said:

It likely was, I think cars of those years still wore an "Automatic" trunk badge when equipped with such. An automatic diesel fintail might not be practical for modern highway driving, unless you have a very long on-ramp, and a low speed limit.

Here's a list of fintail colors, many of these were made for several years

imidazol97 said:

<

I didn't look inside--I assume it was manual transmission? The color was rich, it was like the mahogany of some old furniture pieces.

Hard to tell from the chart, what color blue is your fintail?

fintail

Mine is DB334.

sda said:

Hard to tell from the chart, what color blue is your fintail?

uplanderguy

texases said:

As much as I didn't like filling up GM cars at the gas station, with the cap behind the license plate (slow fills, spills, etc more common with them), it was MUCH safer than what Ford and others were doing. The GM tank and filler were completely outside of the trunk.

Geez, I miss those days. No concerns in the slightest, what side of the pump to pull up on. Plus, took care of that unsightly filler door.

texases

I was speaking as a 'pump jockey'. Owner would be standing there, pump wouldn't click off, gas on the ground, "You expect me to pay for that?"

ab348

My Cutlass has the filler behind the license plate. If you can figure it out, the gas cap can be used to hold the door in the open position while pumping gas. Seems to me my downsized B & C-body cars of the late '70s had the filler behind the plate also, but didn't it swing inward so the pump nozzle held it away from the filler? Maybe my memory is playing tricks...

uplanderguy

The B & C bodies of the late '70's and '80's, and the A and G bodies, did have the fuel fill behind the license plate, but I can't say I remember it swinging inward. My memory is only from a '77 Impala and '80, '81, '82, and '84 Monte Carlos though. I only have experience with B and A bodies, but I'd be surprised if the C bodies were different.

andre1969

Mopar's R-bodies had the fuel filler in back, as well. However, while GM's cars had the license plate that swung down, and could be propped with the gas cap, the Newport/St. Regis/Gran Fury actually swung upward, spring-loaded, and the cap would not hold them open. On the New Yorker/5th Ave, the center part of the taillight, a dummy housing with reflectors rather than bulbs, pivots upward and stays out of the way on its own.

You'd think having the fuel filler in back like that would be dangerous. And on some older cars, like my '67 Catalina, the gas tank is only a few inches from the rear bumper! However, with those old body-on-frame cars, when they got rear-ended, they tended to buckle first over the rear axle, where the frame curved up and over. On more modern cars, like my '76 LeMans, and the downsized B/C bodies, there was a lot more distance between the gas tank and the rear of the car. With these cars, when they were rear-ended, I don't think they were quite as prone to buckling over the rear axle, but would rather accordion-up a bit. But, that extra distance between the gas tank and the rear of the car helped. However, on the downsized A/G bodies, there wasn't quite as much room, and those cars were prone to leaking in a rear end collision. It would take a much harder hit to make one leak than it would with a Pinto, but they were implicated in a few fire-related deaths. I remember reading about a 1980 Malibu sedan in Texas that stalled out on a back road. The woman driver left her two small kids in the back seat and got out of the car to find help. Along comes a flatbed truck and plows into it, and it burst into flames, killing the kids. There was another incident where an early 80's Olds Cutlass Cruiser was stopped at a toll booth, in Jersey perhaps? It was rear-ended at high speed as well and burst into flames, resulting in some deaths.

Of course, any car will leak fuel if you hit it hard enough, and in the right spot. I remember when GM got implicated in that saddle tank fiasco on the '73-87 pickups. People used to ask me if I was afraid of my Granddad's '85 Silverado. I'd tell them no...first of all, gas tanks used to be IN the cab! Second, if I get t-boned at 73 mph, chances are I'm going to die regardless. And third, I'm not into model rockets.

berri

All this vehicle regulation, you'd think they could regulate something that's actually useful to the owner, like gas filler on "one" common side.

magnette

We get whatever side everybody else does here as the body shell will be the same generally for LHD or RHD- so if it is the RHD offside, that makes it the LHD nearside. And even years ago when we were making cars here that were designed here, we had fillers all over the place.

More of an issue here is the location of the pedals - I've driven the recent and current Alfa Guiliettas (RHD) and basically the pedals are so cramped you get brae and cutch if you have normal size feet. When I sat in one of the first Guiliettas in the Frankfurt show I recall the LHD pedal arrangement was ideal...

sda

magnette said:

We get whatever side everybody else does here as the body shell will be the same generally for LHD or RHD- so if it is the RHD offside, that makes it the LHD nearside. And even years ago when we were making cars here that were designed here, we had fillers all over the place.

More of an issue here is the location of the pedals - I've driven the recent and current Alfa Guiliettas (RHD) and basically the pedals are so cramped you get brae and cutch if you have normal size feet. When I sat in one of the first Guiliettas in the Frankfurt show I recall the LHD pedal arrangement was ideal...

When we lived in London, actually Oxshott, Surrey, I seem to remember dad telling me that taxes went up drastically if the engine size was over 2 liters. Is this still the case, or have they lowered the threshold? This was 1974-75. Dad had a '74 Ford Cortina 'E' 2.0 as a company car.

uplanderguy

imidazol, re.. the fintail at the Main Strasse St. show--was that in German Village in Columbus, OH by any chance? We were down there last Saturday the 20th to visit my daughter who lives on the west side of Columbus with her new teaching job, and she wanted to take us for burgers at a place in German Village whose name escapes me, other than it was the name of a street with "café" after it. At 4:30 in the afternoon there was a 1 1/2 to 2 hour wait! Small-town me flatly refused, but even my more-patient wife said "no way". The homes in your pic look similar to that area.

kyfdx

uplanderguy said:

imidazol, re.. the fintail at the Main Strasse St. show--was that in German Village in Columbus, OH by any chance? We were down there last Saturday the 20th to visit my daughter who lives on the west side of Columbus with her new teaching job, and she wanted to take us for burgers at a place in German Village whose name escapes me, other than it was the name of a street with "café" after it. At 4:30 in the afternoon there was a 1 1/2 to 2 hour wait! Small-town me flatly refused, but even my more-patient wife said "no way". The homes in your pic look similar to that area.

Mainstrasse Village is in Covington, KY

http://www.mainstrasse.org/

Thurmans is the burger place in German Village.

andre1969

berri said:

All this vehicle regulation, you'd think they could regulate something that's actually useful to the owner, like gas filler on "one" common side.

I remember reading an old Consumer Reports, where they said it was best for the fuel filler to be on the passenger side, because that way, if your car gets sideswiped while parked, there would be less damage. I don't know how big of a factor that is in the overall scheme of things. I've never had a car that got sideswiped in the area of the fuel filler in the 30 years I've been driving. And these days, cars total out so easily, I don't think it's much of a factor.

My guess is that most people prefer it on the driver's side, to make it more convenient to fill up? Of course, that kinda screws over people in RHD countries that get versions of our cars...

uplanderguy

Thurmans is the burger place in German Village.

Yes! On Thurman Street/Avenue.

texases

I think there are more important things to regulate than gas filler location.

stever

Yeah, like universal EV plugs.

texases

Now you've spoiled my lunch! The thought of any taxpayer $$ going to companies that can't agree on something as simple and necessary as a single EV plug standard just frosts my Wheaties!

sda

To my knowledge most German cars have their fuel filler on the right side even though the fatherland is LHD. GM, Ford and (I think) Chrysler put the fuel filler on the left. I agree it is more convenient located on the left but am wondering if it is safer to be located on the right?

stickguy

Big pain in jersey being on passenger side. Attendant comes to the wrong window!

uplanderguy

All four of my cars--three Chevys and my daughter's PT--have the filler on the right side.

Michaell

My Elantra had the fuel filler on the drivers side. My new Jetta is on the passenger side - same with the wife's Outback and daughter's MINI.

Mr_Shiftright

I don't know how to break this to you, but the MINI's filler is on the driver's side.

ab348

GM seemed to change a few years ago. My Intrigue and 1st-gen LaCrosse had the filler on the left side, but the current LaCrosse, my 2011 Regal and now my ATS are on the right side.

stever

texases said:

Now you've spoiled my lunch! The thought of any taxpayer $$ going to companies that can't agree on something as simple and necessary as a single EV plug standard just frosts my Wheaties!

Didn't even know that was an option.


Extra credit if you know who the first race car driver to appear on a box of Wheaties was.

Mr_Shiftright

Car companies can't even standardize mufflers.

sda

I spotted a 1956 Plymouth Savoy, just like this one. It was at a restoration garage and looked very nice. I like the clean look of the tail lights.

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?q=1956+Plymouth+Fury&w=132&h=100&c=1&rs=1&qlt=90&pid=InlineBlock&mkt=en-US&adlt=moderate&t=1&mw=247

andre1969

sda said:

To my knowledge most German cars have their fuel filler on the right side even though the fatherland is LHD. GM, Ford and (I think) Chrysler put the fuel filler on the left. I agree it is more convenient located on the left but am wondering if it is safer to be located on the right?

I'm drawing a blank on the location of my '67 Newport and '88 LeBaron coupe. I googled some pics, and saw that the LeBaron's was on the passenger side. I couldn't find a fuel filler cutout on either side of the Newport pics I looked at, so maybe it was under the license plate, GM-style? My '57 DeSoto, '68 and '69 Darts, 2000 Intrepid, and 2012 Ram all have/had it on the driver's side.

fintail

States can't even standardize license plate laws between them. The EV plug thing does amuse me, I wonder if Tesla can lobby their way into becoming the standard.

Fintail fuel filler is behind the plate, convenient, and I hope not too dangerous. Every other MB I've had has it on the passenger side. I think modern cars also have an arrow on the gauge point to the side of the car where the filler is located.

Michaell

Mr_Shiftright said:

I don't know how to break this to you, but the MINI's filler is on the driver's side.

Shows you how often I fill it up. 

imidazol97

uplanderguy said:

imidazol, re.. the fintail at the Main Strasse St. show--was that in German Village in Columbus, OH by any chance?.

\

German Village is nicer over a larger area in Columbus. You gotta try the smorgasbord at Schmidts. Mild bahama mamma sausages are great. And get the reduced price creme puffs with the smorgasbord.

imidazol97

sda said:

To my knowledge most German cars have their fuel filler on the right side even though the fatherland is LHD. GM, Ford and (I think) Chrysler put the fuel filler on the left. I agree it is more convenient located on the left but am wondering if it is safer to be located on the right?

All three of my GM's doors are on the right side.

stevedebi

sda said:

To my knowledge most German cars have their fuel filler on the right side even though the fatherland is LHD. GM, Ford and (I think) Chrysler put the fuel filler on the left. I agree it is more convenient located on the left but am wondering if it is safer to be located on the right?

My Ford C-Max Energi has the filler on the right side. My previous Fords were left side. But then the C-Max is made from the Euro model.

kyfdx

I think most makes are moving to passenger side fuel filler doors.

omarman

Remember the fuel filler is on the Wagon Queen Family Truckster? Forgot about that one until I was looking over a thread called Show Me: Fuel Doors

fintail

I've always thought that AMC Eagle in the gas filler scene was meant to represent the Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon with the CB and optional Rally Fun Pack that Clark was supposed to take on the vacation.

I'm just fixing the license plate here

berri

I spotted a 1956 Plymouth Savoy, just like this one. It was at a restoration garage and looked very nice. I like the clean look of the tail lights.

I liked the 55/56 Mopars. I felt the 56's were a transition to the Exner's 57's. But my favorite Mopars of that period were the 55 Dodge and Desoto.

bhill2

berri said:

I spotted a 1956 Plymouth Savoy, just like this one. It was at a restoration garage and looked very nice. I like the clean look of the tail lights.

I liked the 55/56 Mopars. I felt the 56's were a transition to the Exner's 57's. But my favorite Mopars of that period were the 55 Dodge and Desoto.

We are very close in tastes, berri. I might add the Chrysler, which was similar in looks to the Desoto, and I might choose the 56 simply because I have a weakness for four-door hardtops.

PF_Flyer

Pretty sure this belongs to one of the employees at our grocery store. I've always liked the 240SX, and this one looks to be in great shape inside and out.

stickguy

I would buy that. If it had a stick

PF_Flyer

Michaell said:

My Elantra had the fuel filler on the drivers side. My new Jetta is on the passenger side - same with the wife's Outback and daughter's MINI.

We've got one left, one right. Diversity for the sake of diversity I suppose

fintail

I see an Infiniti (M30) in the style of that 240SX in my area now and then, pretty rare.

kyfdx

When I met/married my wife, she had a '90 240SX hatchback. I hated it.. Automatic and motorized mouse seatbelts. Even RWD couldn't make me like it.

andre1969

bhill2 said:

berri said:

I spotted a 1956 Plymouth Savoy, just like this one. It was at a restoration garage and looked very nice. I like the clean look of the tail lights.

I liked the 55/56 Mopars. I felt the 56's were a transition to the Exner's 57's. But my favorite Mopars of that period were the 55 Dodge and Desoto.

We are very close in tastes, berri. I might add the Chrysler, which was similar in looks to the Desoto, and I might choose the 56 simply because I have a weakness for four-door hardtops.

I think 1956 might be one of those rare instances where the facelifted cars actually looked better than the first-year. I think the modest tailfins improved the rumps of all of them. Plus, the front-end of the Chrysler, DeSoto, and Plymouth all seemed less heavy-handed and less fussy. I also liked the body-color headlight bezels with the slight forward thrust that the Dodge Royal/Custom Royal, DeSoto Fireflite/Adventurer, and Chrysler New Yorker/300B got. I wasn't so crazy about the round chrome bezels of the '55's, and the low-line '56 models, that gave them a bit more of a jutting, bug-eyed look.