Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

explorerx4

how about this volvo? forlvo

andre1969

Newman needs to lose that mustache...he looks like an over-the-hill porn actor!

Is the 960 similar to the 740? It looks similar to me. My neighbors had an '89 740 wagon that they loved...until around 1998 and 100,000 miles. It was getting unreliable and every time it had to go back to the Volvo dealer, it left them $1000 poorer.

explorerx4

andre. think pickup plus chain! was that ice to cool off the intake manifold? :P

explorerx4

sounds like a lexus!

jlflemmons

"THIS IS A VERY RARE 1970 BUICK RIVIERA THAT WAS ORDERED WITH THE BUCKET SEAT CENTER CONSOLE OPTION WITH THE SHIFTER ON THE STEERING COLUMN INSTEAD OF THE FLOOR. THERE WERE VERY FEW OF THESE RIVIERA'S AROUND. "

That's because some dumbass forgot to check off the console option when he picked bucket seats and got the default center glove box. I have seen Riviera's with the floor shift, but something about that one just doesn't look right. I know the Toronado either had a split bench or buckets with a console. I saw the same thing happen on a Pontiac LeMans, also a 1970. Not long after that, GM made the console included on the bucket seat option. Driving a LeMans equipped like that is a very strange feeling. Everytime I would make a left hand turn I felt like I was going to fall off the seat. :surprise:

andre1969

I had thought about pulling the car out of the garage with the pickup, but the only chain I have is this really heavy, bulky thing with links that are about 3-4 inches long. I've used it to pull the Dart around, but I was afraid that with the LeMans, it would scrape something up.

I'd also thought about just pushing the LeMans out with the 5th Ave. I have one of the DeSoto's old tires, off the rim, that I've used for that before. Just put it between the two cars to use as sort of a buffer. But I've learned with doing something like that, that cars don't always roll where you think they're going to roll. I could have had one of my roommates try to help me by steering the LeMans, but I don't trust them enough for that. They can both be a bit clumsy when working around cars. :sick:

Actually, I was getting irritated enough with that New Yorker when it wouldn't start back up for me, that I could have used that ice to cool ME off!

lemmer

940/960s are just updated 740/760s. There is a '93 for sale near me for only $2300. I actually find it a little bit tempting.

qbrozen

Actually, the 9x0 and 7x0 coexisted for a few years. The 9 is bigger and more complex, much like the S90/S70 range that followed. S70 was the 7x0/850 successor and the S90 was the 960 successor.

Mr_Shiftright

Even Paul Newman's ownership can't turn a turd into a jewel. So great, now you have a funny-looking Volvo station wagon that runs hot, eats gas and requires a computer nerd to tune up every year. Swell, just swell.

Well at least Paul Newman knows how to drive!

fintail

Get noticed

That rear end does it all

Uncommon sight

Mr_Shiftright

Ah I see that '88 Celica has had the Magic Gas Mileage Wand passed over it.

48 Pontiac Convertible -- a fairly rare car, especially with Hydra-matic. Price is about correct for a driver, maybe a few thousand high.

andre1969

What does "2 x 2 automatic" mean? I know the old Hydramatic had 4 forward gears, but you couldn't manually select them all. I think originally you just threw the car into drive and it just picked the gear best suited to the circumstances, but you couldn't manually hold it in a lower gear. Was the "2 x 2" that "dual path" thing, or whatever they called it?

Did they ever make an older hydramatic where you could manually select through all 4 gears? With the 80's overdrive one, like what was in my '85 LeSabre and '86 Monte Carlo, you could. With a lot of newer cars you can't, though. I think my Intrepid, which is a 4-speed, just has them labeled "D, 3, L"

Mr_Shiftright

It's funny. When you google "Dual Range Hydramatic" you get thousands of hits and hundreds of websites, and they all talk about the "Dual Range Hydramatic" and not ONE of the sites explains what it is! :surprise:

fintail

Well-kept "Porsche"

Looks like it has already been scrapped

4 fins

Keep your local gas station in business

Preservation object

Mr_Shiftright

$9,500 for a 924 Porsche -- well, good luck.

'56 Caddy -- he "saved" it but he shouldn't have.

'61 Caddy -- I forgot how ugly those were

'80 Mazda RX7 -- might be a good buy if you could negotiate the price; otherwise you could get a used Miata with a hardtop for the same money.

210delray

IMO, the '56 Caddy was the last model year that it was elegant and tasteful until 1965. You could make the argument that the '63-64s were okay too, but in between those years, the glitz factor including those monster fins was too much.

But if you must have the glitz, then go for the best (or worst, depending on your viewpoint): that outrageous '59 model!

andre1969

So is that '56 Caddy pretty much beyond all hope? IMO, it actually doesn't look THAT bad in the pics. I mean, probably forget about restoring it, but it looks like it might still have some useful parts. Rust actually doesn't look that bad. Most of it is actually what I call "scale", where the paint just gets weak, exposing the primer and bare metal, which then forms a rusty scale on it. But it's not the type of rust that forms from the inside and works its way out, to where what you don't see is probably worse than what you do. Now if you started poking around on that '56, it might have some holes all the way through here and there, but by and large, that scale probably looks worse than it really is. It's sort of like leaving a shovel or hammer out in the weather, to where it gets that scale on it, but never really gets any worse unless left alone for a long, long time.

I like that '61 Caddy. I think the '61-62 is actually one of my favorite styles. I think an old hearse or ambulance on that platform would be really cool!

qbrozen

I was getting all set to drool when the pics first popped up .... then I read it .... the word that is to be dreaded for an RX7 .... "automatic"
UGH!!!!

qbrozen

My father had an '85 GSL-SE (silver over red) that his company leased for him. He didn't have it long. Maybe 2 years, but he really enjoyed it. We've both loved them every since.

Upon re-reading that ad ....
CUSTOM BACK CHILD SEAT - DUAL SUNROOFS

what the hell car is HE talking about??

lemmer

I've seen 2 seaters with child seats bolted down in the hatchback area. I've also seen MGBs with homemade seat belts for children on the parcel shelf. Seems a little crazy to me.

The dual sunroof? Beats me unless he means it can be tilted or removed, like a dual purpose sunroof.

texases

When did the RX-7 start using fuel injection? That would be something I'd want.

lemmer

1984 when they put in the 13B in the GSL-SE. All versions had it when the next body style came out in 1986.

fintail

That's a good story, how easy it is to become attached to a car one can see even a little charm in.

When I was a little kid, around kindergarten age, the people across the street had an RX7, and I loved it. It was white. They had a couple kids around my age, and I remember being able to ride in it with them a few times, and we were sometimes able to talk our way into being driven to school in it. It seemed like the coolest car...this would have been around 1982, I don't know if it was brand new or not.

I remember that family also had one of those 70s style big Blazers with the removeable hardtop, and a Vega wagon. Come to think of it, I can remember what many people around me drove then...people on one side of the RX7 had a GM clamshell wagon, on the other side lived a late 70s Caprice coupe with the bubble window in the back, next door to us on one side was a VW convertible, and on the other side the guy had a a few cars, including an X1/9 which I also thought was cool.

michaellno

Huh ... until I saw the recent posts regarding fuel injection, I totally forgot that my sister's RX-7 had a manual choke. I remember having to play with it on cooler mornings to get it started.

When I was a kid, there was an RX-2 or RX-3 (don't remember which) in my town with the vanity plate "GOS HMM".

And, my folks almost bought a Mazda in 1973 but ended up with a Toyota Corona.

EDIT: Speaking of neighborhood cars as kids, one of our next door neighbors bought a new Audi 4000 5+5 - green, 2-door sedan. To me, that was the coolest car on the block. Was quite unique in the early 1980's.

lemko

Back in my neighborhood in the early 1970s, my Dad had a 1972 Ford LTD, my elderly neighbors had a 1961 Ford Falcon, the neighbors across the street had a 1962 Ford Galaxie and their daughter had a 1967 Ford Custom 500. The young guy up the street had a 1970 Ford Galaxie XL convertible. Another neighbor had a big 1973 Chrysler New Yorker, a young girl had an MG Midget, her mother had a 1968 Lincoln Continental Mark III, an older guy had a 1971 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan.

Down the street was a 1973 VW Superbeetle, a 1970 Ford LTD, a 1970 Buick Skylark, and a doctor with a really nice 1964 Lincoln Continental. Across the street from them was a 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1970 Chevelle sedan, and a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass.

tjc78

What?? No Toyotas or Hondas

lemmer

I remember the first Japanese car buyers in my neighborhood. They moved in with their new mid '70s Corolla and Toyota truck in matching white. As a young boy, I thought they looked more like toys than real cars.

andre1969

I think we were actually the first Japanese car buyers in our neighborhood! This was around 1978, I guess. We were living with my grandparents at the time. Granddad bought a used '72 Chevy LUV from some friends of my Mom's, to use as a beater. I dunno if he actually considered it to be "Japanese", since it had a Chevy nameplate on it.

A couple years later, they gave it to my uncle, who tore the hell of it, and replaced it with a 1981 Dodge D-50 pickup. A Mitsubishi in disguise, but I don't think Granddad realized that.

Back in those days, the neighbors had cars like a '78 Regal, a '69-70 sedan DeVille that gave way to a Citation, of all cars. 1970 Pontiac Executive. Another neighbor had a beat-up '64 Impala sedan and two beat-up '67 Ford Galaxie sedans. Other neighbors had a '76 Dodge van. Grandma's cousin across the street had a '71 or so Duster that gave way to a '79 Volare. Her son and daughter in law were constantly moving in and out of there, and went through a whole string of old cars. 1957 Chevy 2-door wagon (Not a Nomad, a regular wagon). 1971 or so Mercury Marquis, the style with the flip-up headlights. 1969-70 Coupe DeVille. They never seemed to hold onto a car for long, though. Or they'd have several at once, usually with one or two broken down in my grandmother's cousin's driveway. Hey, maybe that's the side of the family where I get it from! I actually did buy one car from them once...a 1969 Bonneville 4-door hardtop that ran great when it would start, and before it overheated, but in retrospect, I should have never layed eyes on that thing!

bumpy

When I was a kid in the '80s, the neighbors were an older couple who had a big white early '70s Impala (or something like that) and a white Falcon Ranchero. After he died, his wife got an early '70s Nova (or maybe a Buick Apollo?)- forest green with a cream top. Eventually, she traded that for a new '91 or so maroon Pontiac Grand Prix. The old lady who lived on the other side of them had a white Ford Fairmont, and her sister who lived down the road going the other way had one of those FWD Olds Delta 88s, IIRC.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, sure, one could take a few useful parts off that '56 Caddy before scrapping it. But restoring it from that condition would be sheer lunacy. It's not even worth that much in restored condition. If it were a '56 Eldo convertible it would be worth 4X what this car is worth when restored. I'd wager that restoring this '56 coupe in this condition would put you $50,000 in the hole, even after you sold the car. The chrome restoration alone is probably a $5,000 to $10,000 enterprise.

fintail

I remember when I was in grade school the parents of a kid I fought with a couple times had one of those 2-door Audi 4000s. I can't remember the last time I saw one of those. One of my mother's friends had a regular 4000 sedan, also an uncommon sight today. but not too odd out west back in the day.

Speaking of all the neighboorhood car talk...there was an old couple in the neighborhood who actually had a fintail, a grey and white two tone W111 with a red interior. I remember I thought it was a bizarre car and I did not like it. They didn't drive it much, and it was usually in the garage or in the driveway, but now and then it would be out on the street and I would look it over. It was in pristine condition. Back in the 80s I remember a lot of 50s and 60s stuff still hanging around, which isn't surprising with the slow decay of cars seen here. I remember one guy in the neighborhood had a herd of 59 Fords, and a weird hippie-ish guy had a 49 Mercury woody languishing behind his house - even then I knew that was a special car. My dad had an eccentric friend who had a couple dozen cars - he usually drove a Ford 105E Anglia around town. And the parents of another kid I didn't get along with had a fleet of cars, among them a mint 63 Falcon wagon...I always admired the curved glass at the back windows. Domestic cars were still the most common even here out west, with families I remember having Fairmonts and Celebrities etc. But the Accords and Camrys were starting to trickle in over time. I remember the family of a Japanese girl in my class had one of the boxy Nissan Stanza wagons - which made it seem very JDM/foreign to me.

I remember a girl I knew who's dad was a cop had a ca. 1980 Malibu coupe, an Andre-mobile, it was blue. My best friend's parents had a big period Suburban and a Cavalier fastback "Type 10" that had fancy wheels and a sunroof - I actually thought that was a cool car! My parents also knew a guy who had a white whale-tail 911, I thought that car was amazing...I still remember the sheepskin seat covers the couple times I got to ride in it. And my mom knew a doctor who had a W126 300SD...even though it couldn't have been more than a few years old, it would belch smoke when starting. It was that creamy yellowish-white color so often seen on those.

boomchek

Interesting stuff fintail. I remember there was so much 70s stuff on the road when we came to Canada in late 80s.

But my childhood neighbourhood automotive memories were split up into three parts: Poland during the communist era, in which you mostly saw Trabants, Syrenas, and Fiats. On occasion you'd see an import that wold wow you. My first memory of ever seeing a Porsche was in the early 80s. It was a black 928, and it had a crowd of people around it on the street. It blew me away with the looks back then, and I thinkl it's still the reason I's like to own one at some point in my life.

When we lived in Italy from 86 to 88, you'd see the normal Alfas, Peugeots, Fiats, etc.... but I never paid attention to any classics back then.

And upon arriving in Vancouver, the huge 70s domestic boats were everywhere, and I never really took a liking to them, as they seemed so different from the European stuff I was used to.

In our apartment garage, parked next to us, was an AMC Matador, with a vinyl roof, and odd green paint, that really stood out to this day. One of my parent's friends bought a 75 Malibu 4 door, which had the pillarless doors, something i always liked, and wanted to ride in.
My parents made sure we were stuck with boring cars like a 77 Volvo wagon, old Tempos, and later the Caprice wagon no cool cars.

fintail

Back in those days I too had a dislike for the 70s mastadons - they were for the most part just old used cars, out of style and many of them looking the worse for wear. Something had to be from the 60s to catch my eye at all.

I remember I had a thing for the 928 too...I still like them. I forget what my first exposure to one was...maybe in a movie like Risky Business. I remember when I saw a red 928S4 in 1987, I was very impressed. I also remember someone in town had a Lotus Esprit, black with gold trim, very super-carish in the 80s with its sharp edges and lowness.

My parents never had anything too exciting...the fleet in ca. 1987 was a S-10 Blazer, a Tempo, and a Ciera (soon to be replaced by a Taurus). But by 1989 or so my dad wanted to get back into hobby cars, so from there on we always had a couple old heaps around, bought for little money but always good for some fun.

fintail

The big affordably priced car

Could be a good project

"Cobra"....what are those, 12" wheels?

I don't think it likes being parked so close to water

Early Fox survivor

texases

Just hope that Falcon doesn't have the 144!

Mr_Shiftright

I just saw a *pristine* 1987 Porsche 928 for sale, with the required Manhattan phone book of service and repair receipts. Asking $10K and no takers for the last 60 days so I'm told. Stickshift and sunroof, too. You could eat off this thing, it is really sharp.

Go figure. They aren't bad on gas, either.

lemmer

My FIL finally got my prospect down to the Porsche shop. The shop owner pulled his repair records on it as well as looking it over. The transmission was rebuilt around 4K miles ago. The engine was reringed and all the head studs were replaced at that time along with some other miscellaneous maintenance. When left overnight, the car leaks a spot of oil larger than a quarter. The estimate on repair is approximately $1300-$1400 as pulling the engine would be necessary to get to the leak. Everything else mechanical is in top operating condition.

The air conditioning checks out and everything else inside works. No rips, tears, or cracks in the interior, but the leather could stand to be redied. The exterior is a respray in the original color, looks good from about 10 feet. Up close the driver's door shows a couple of scratches that are too deep to buff out. At the leading edge of the headlights and windshield, you can see a little line where the clearcoat ends as it might be starting to peel up the tiniest bit or it might just be wear it was taped off for painting.

The owner is honest to a fault (a family friend). He wants $12,500 for the car (the family friend price I am told). He says he will give my money back if I get it and am not pleased with it.

fintail

Maintenance is pretty steep though, isn't it?

If I was to seek a 928 I would probably want a GTS, just for the sake of exclusivity. On a MB forum I post at now and then someone has a first year 928 with 3K miles on it, and it has the crazy op-art interior. I kind of like a preserved one like that, too...but it would be pointless to own as you wouldn't want to drive it.

Mr_Shiftright

Price seems fair enough. I guess your cam covers are leaking. It all sounds about "market correct"--- no deal but about right for a car that's very sound but less than pristine. I'd say more if I could see that interior and how shabby it looks. That's not cheap to repair and dye won't repair actual deep cracks.

Color would also be a consideration on price.

As for the AC, I consider that almost a liability and I'd take that compressor off if it ever fails. It just gets in the way and makes everything cost more $$$. Mechanics hate 'em.

texases

"On a MB forum I post at now and then someone has a first year 928 with 3K miles on it, and it has the crazy op-art interior"

They sure had some wild interiors - but weren't 928s constantly improved over their years? That first-year would be pretty mild, right?

lemmer

"Friends and family" prices usually end up being market correct because everybody thinks their cars are worth whatever Excellence says they are worth.

Mr_Shiftright

I always like to read the Excellence classifieds for a good laugh. I'd ship freight cars full of Porsches from California to Excellence HQ if they could get me those prices.

I'd imagine there ARE pristine, anally-maintained, gorgeous, perfect, showroom-condition, spotless, flawless, encased-in-amber, time-capsule, jewel-encrusted Porsches that will bring those $$$, but how many cars, I mean REALLY, like that really exist in the world?

boomchek

I like that blue Mustang. What a shape it's in !!

qbrozen

ya know, i was looking at that and can't help but think those pics are from 1979!
No way in hell a '79 Rustang still looks that nice. (hell, I'm not sure they looked that nice from the factory!)

fintail

Yeah the early ones were weaker, it was MY 1978 after all. I think the 928s to get are the ones late in the model run.

tjc78

No way in hell a '79 Rustang still looks that nice

Did anyone notice how off the fit of the passenger door is?

andre1969

Did anyone notice how off the fit of the passenger door is?

Heck, for 1979 standards that's actually pretty good! My '79 5th Avenue has an ill-fitting passenger side door. My grandmother, who is legally blind with macular degeneration, actually noticed it and asked if there was something wrong with the door! In my case though, the door doesn't drop down, which I guess could be a case of weakening hinges. Rather, it sort of sticks out at the bottom rear corner.

One other thing I just noticed though, from that same passenger side pic on the Mustang...there appears to be silicone or some other kind of tube sealant around the rear window. Also, in that little gap between the rear quarter and the taillight, you can see what appears to be three little spot welds. Now that little "feature" is the factory's doing, but I have a feeling that workmanship like that wouldn't fly with a modern car.

Still, other than the sealant around the rear window, the car appears to be a nice little survivor. I wonder how common the 5.0 V-8 was on the 1979 Mustang? IIRC, most people didn't look to the Mustang for performance around that timeframe. If you wanted a powerful V-8 you got a Camaro or Firebird. I think the Mustang pretty much returned to its roots as an economical compact with some flair. A car a secretary or school teacher would feel proud to own. Therefore, I imagine most of them were just the 4-cyl or the 200 straight six? Ford started experimenting with the 2.3 turbo around that timeframe, but I don't think more than a handful of them were built.

Also, for a year or two, I think they even dropped the 302 completely, and the only V-8 you could get was that weak little 255 CID unit. Maybe for 1980-81 or 81-82? I'm sure when the 302 came back, the masses cheered.

toomanyfumes

I had a friend that had a '79(I'm pretty sure) Mustang that had the 302 V-8. I'm almost positive it said "COBRA" on it.

I remember driving it, It had a 4-speed, but 4th gear was an overdrive, so the gear ratios were wide apart.

lemmer

They dropped the price of this old Bimmer by $2000. still overpriced by nearly that same amount based on Shifty's prior analysis.

Mr_Shiftright

Keep droppin', you got a ways to go yet. Try $4,500, be happy.