I remember that green, and as I recall, it wasn't too savory.
If anyone ever gets the chance, find a copy and read the book "Car" by Mary Walton. It documents the development of the '97 Taurus and Sable. There is quite a bit of information in the book about the decision making process surrounding the fabric colors and styles. What looked good when proposed by the vendor looked downright hideous in production.
My car has a very dark grey interior, an unusual color, and it goes well with the dark grey paint. It's not very imaginative though.
Beige is making its way into more MB as time goes on - I forget the color name (I want to say "almond") but I have seen it in E and C class especially. There used to be kind of a creme colored interior as a special order option - I think it looks great with the lighter blue metallic paint that was offered in the 80s and early 90s.
Along with balance and blueprint (tolerancing) we used to port and polish the heads and manifolds. This involved polishing the interior portions of the castings (head, intakes) and "porting" or checking for exact alignments of the openings between the assemblies such as where the air/fuel mixture passes from the intake manifold to the heads. Now days, probably not so much of an issue, but back in the day you could get many thousandths of mis-alignment in the "ports".
The saying was that you couldn't get more than 1HP per CI without turbo or supercharging.
Isn't the Honda S2000 the current king of this metric? Initially, it was 240HP from 2.0L (122 cubic inches), but now the engine has been enlarged to 2.2L (134 ci).
Still, 1.8HP per ci isn't too shabby.
Maybe some Ferrari engines do better, but the Honda engine is the one that sticks out for me.
You had me going for a second with that VR6 Corrado. I've always liked them, but I wouldn't want a 'project car' with a 'reconstructed title', with much of the car in primer. And it looks like it's riding 2" too high, or the wheels/tires are 2" too small. Too bad.
I'm glad you're a glutton for punishment (i.e., hoopties) like I am.
I've had several VWs similar to that GTI (85 Golf 4-door, 85 Jetta GL four-door, 89 Golf 4-door, 91 GTI 16v, all 5-speeds); fun cars to drive, but ALL had the annoying recurring door latch problem (can't open from outside), a couple had leaky sunroofs, the GTI was just a lemon from Hell. That said, I'd probably still buy one, I just loved the whole package (great design, decent MPG, space efficient, fairly durable interiors save for the door latch thing, not too prone to rust, did I mention fun?). I t-boned a semi truck in the '85 Golf, in the rain (he pulled out in front of me), going about 35 and the car was drivable, and not even too deformed, after.
Never liked that era Civic too much, they ride WAAAYY too low for me, I'm kind of a chair-height seat kinda guy. That one looks alright, though I hate that early-90s almost-aqua blue on ANY car. And in Chicago, they're all rustbuckets and/or have neon green interior pieces and stickers in both Japanese and Spanish. No can do.
I never see Corrados any more, except for the guy who owns the hair salon next to the bar I go to (got that?).....his is an earlier (G60, supercharged, red) in OK shape, nothing super special, except that it exists at all. :confuse:
One that was lucky not to be clunked...not sure that color is correct, and the car is about as "AMG" as my left pinkie finger - I am pretty sure those wheels are from a 1998-99 CLK320.
I was thinking the same thing. The wheels are off a base CLK. Back in the 80s MB never sold actual AMG vehicles through their showrooms iirc. Any AMG mods were after market weren't they?
that one, I like. Although I expect there is a certain amount of gilding on the old pig, but at least it doesn't look ratty. I noticed the Hyundai DIY radio conversin too.
I wanted one of these bad back in the day (my early new car life). Even had a deposit on a silver one like this at least once, but had issues selling my other car IIRC. Or I got cheap, also a possibility!
If I stumbled upon one locally, and got a good vibe from the owner, and it was cheap, I would be stupid enough to but it as a semi-daily drivier (especially since I have a spare Acura in the garge!)
Yep...some dealers had independent agreements AMG I think, but many AMG sellers weren't even main dealers. IIRC the first AMG car to be sold through all MB dealers officially was the C36 back in 1995.
....I'm guessing those CLK wheels are 16's, while standard 300E wheels are 15s, which may account for it looking 'lowered'. It doesn't appear to have any other AMG parts (body or otherwise). BTW, were 300Es even 'clunkable' (based on gas mileage)? They had to be pretty close....my 528e was NOT (even the automatic), though admittedly it does have 50 fewer HP than a 300E.
....I'm guessing those CLK wheels are 16's, while standard 300E wheels are 15s, which may account for it looking 'lowered'. It doesn't appear to have any other AMG parts (body or otherwise). BTW, not sure if 300Es (18 combined) were even 'clunkable' (based on gas mileage)? They had to be pretty close....my 528e was NOT (even the automatic, @19 combined), though admittedly it does have 50 fewer HP than a 300E....I think they had to be under 18. Water under the bridge at this point, anyway.
Yeah, that's right regarding the wheel size and why it might look lowered. That car also has no visible AMG body parts whatsoever. There were AMG bodykits for the W124, they are not even terribly uncommon.
I think the W124 did qualify for C4C, I know I saw a wagon slated for C4C death on youtube.
....though perhaps the wagons (as well as the later 24v versions) may have crossed below the threshold for C4C if the regular 'older' (non 24v) 300s and 260Es did not?
As for W124 AMGs, our 'local' rock star's wife had one (he had a non-AMG 420SEL, she had a very Miami Vice-looking all-white 300E AMG, circa 1986 when both were introduced in the U.S.). Did one just order through the MB dealer, or was it necessary to take the car to an AMG shop (I do remember there being at least one in the Chicago area....I want to say near Oak Brook)?
Per the CARS site, a 1986 300E is/was eligible and a 1988 260E is not - I checked no others. Per Edmunds all 1990-95 E class are eligible. Funny thing, the CARS lists the 5-speed option for those cars, which virtually does not exist. Luckily, the manual doesn't qualify, so these wouldn't be clunked.
I think after a certain point some dealers had agreements with AMG to sell trim options on cars. Before this, it was done by regional shops - I think these were connected to grey-market importers so common until around 1986 or so. If a car had AMG engine tuning - most AMG cars of this era seem to be trim enhancements and not engine modifications, I would guess the distributor would have to advise what to do. I can't imagine a dealer smiling about fixing one of those gigantic 6 liter units.
IIRC the east-of-the-Rockies AMG distributor in North America was in the Chicago area. I have some period material, I will check it when I am home.
.....I'm virtually certain that they were only sold in the U.S. from '86-89 (with the 12-valve engine), and personally, I've only seen them (on eBay and such) in '86-87. They have to be very rare, though not necessarily 'desirable' (MB has never been known for its wonderful manual transmissions).
As for the AMGs, I think the 300E with the 6-liter was known as the 'Hammer', but they have specific body treatments; I doubt many exist today, at least not running the streets (and they cost something like $180k way back then!!).
I'm sure some dealers had AMG upgrades available at the dealership but none were factory installed until the C36 AMG like you said.
A lot of people don't have a clue what they're selling I guess, like the Alfa 164 Spider I posted on Obscure car thread (I emailed her btw, pointing out the errors), or this seller with an AMG E class.
That M coupe is interesting, especially (for me) the 'no sun roof'. As for $29k, C&D had it in their 'best used cars for $20' list, so it's high, but maybe worth a bit more than $20k.
I think I've only seen 1 or 2 manual W124s on ebay, yeah. Maybe not desireable, but so rare that it would be a shame to lose the last one. Of course, they are very common in Europe.
The Hammer was a legend, and the price was exactly as you mention. There are a few around, in coupe and wagon form too.
I think the '3 months' is how long 'till that Celica's 25 years old. And $2400 doesn't seem like a bad price, but the only '85 Toyota I'd want is the Supra, black, with those wheels.
While I agree the paint job is not to my tastes, I admire the guy for the legwork he did in confirming what he had. I wonder what color it was originally?
Being a PPG car I am not surprised at the colors. Today it would probably be some crazy burnt orange/lime green combo. All those companies go for over the top color combos.
Sheesh! This guy is smoking blunts the size of telephone poles! It's a pedestrian 4-door sedan. It appears to be a nice daily driver but it's not like it's a Cale Yarborough or Dan Gurney Mercury Cyclone! Drop the one off the front of the price and you're still being too generous!
Fair Market Value for a '71 Montego sedan in clean, #3 driver condition (high average condition) would be about $1800. So it's only overpriced by 700%.
But given that anything on 4 wheels in America that is clean and runs well is worth $2000-$2500, and that old cars do have a sentimental charge that overcomes rationality sometimes, he might squeeze a bit more out of it than $1800.
Comments
If anyone ever gets the chance, find a copy and read the book "Car" by Mary Walton. It documents the development of the '97 Taurus and Sable. There is quite a bit of information in the book about the decision making process surrounding the fabric colors and styles. What looked good when proposed by the vendor looked downright hideous in production.
Beige is making its way into more MB as time goes on - I forget the color name (I want to say "almond") but I have seen it in E and C class especially. There used to be kind of a creme colored interior as a special order option - I think it looks great with the lighter blue metallic paint that was offered in the 80s and early 90s.
White paint is now trendy on highline cars, too.
Remember when "one HP per cubic inch" was thought to be absolutely amazing?
Isn't the Honda S2000 the current king of this metric? Initially, it was 240HP from 2.0L (122 cubic inches), but now the engine has been enlarged to 2.2L (134 ci).
Still, 1.8HP per ci isn't too shabby.
Maybe some Ferrari engines do better, but the Honda engine is the one that sticks out for me.
Nice looking Golf
Not bad for a '92 Civic
Or how about something outside the box?
OK. Maybe pushing it for a "daily driver"
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I've had several VWs similar to that GTI (85 Golf 4-door, 85 Jetta GL four-door, 89 Golf 4-door, 91 GTI 16v, all 5-speeds); fun cars to drive, but ALL had the annoying recurring door latch problem (can't open from outside), a couple had leaky sunroofs, the GTI was just a lemon from Hell. That said, I'd probably still buy one, I just loved the whole package (great design, decent MPG, space efficient, fairly durable interiors save for the door latch thing, not too prone to rust, did I mention fun?). I t-boned a semi truck in the '85 Golf, in the rain (he pulled out in front of me), going about 35 and the car was drivable, and not even too deformed, after.
Never liked that era Civic too much, they ride WAAAYY too low for me, I'm kind of a chair-height seat kinda guy. That one looks alright, though I hate that early-90s almost-aqua blue on ANY car. And in Chicago, they're all rustbuckets and/or have neon green interior pieces and stickers in both Japanese and Spanish. No can do.
I never see Corrados any more, except for the guy who owns the hair salon next to the bar I go to (got that?).....his is an earlier (G60, supercharged, red) in OK shape, nothing super special, except that it exists at all. :confuse:
Claims to be low mileage, but doesn't look pristine...those front seat covers look terrible.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I wanted one of these bad back in the day (my early new car life). Even had a deposit on a silver one like this at least once, but had issues selling my other car IIRC. Or I got cheap, also a possibility!
If I stumbled upon one locally, and got a good vibe from the owner, and it was cheap, I would be stupid enough to but it as a semi-daily drivier (especially since I have a spare Acura in the garge!)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I think the W124 did qualify for C4C, I know I saw a wagon slated for C4C death on youtube.
As for W124 AMGs, our 'local' rock star's wife had one (he had a non-AMG 420SEL, she had a very Miami Vice-looking all-white 300E AMG, circa 1986 when both were introduced in the U.S.). Did one just order through the MB dealer, or was it necessary to take the car to an AMG shop (I do remember there being at least one in the Chicago area....I want to say near Oak Brook)?
I think after a certain point some dealers had agreements with AMG to sell trim options on cars. Before this, it was done by regional shops - I think these were connected to grey-market importers so common until around 1986 or so. If a car had AMG engine tuning - most AMG cars of this era seem to be trim enhancements and not engine modifications, I would guess the distributor would have to advise what to do. I can't imagine a dealer smiling about fixing one of those gigantic 6 liter units.
IIRC the east-of-the-Rockies AMG distributor in North America was in the Chicago area. I have some period material, I will check it when I am home.
As for the AMGs, I think the 300E with the 6-liter was known as the 'Hammer', but they have specific body treatments; I doubt many exist today, at least not running the streets (and they cost something like $180k way back then!!).
http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/1987-mercedes-amg-hammer-300e-60-for-sale-in-ca- lifornia/
A lot of people don't have a clue what they're selling I guess, like the Alfa 164 Spider I posted on Obscure car thread (I emailed her btw, pointing out the errors), or this seller with an AMG E class.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/
some interesting but probably over priced cars there.
I like the M Coupe but that seems like a good bit too much money for one even if it is that rare. http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/2002-laguna-seca-blue-s54-z3-m-coupe-for-sale-i- n-burlingame-california/
http://bringatrailer.com/
also that bring a trailer site looks interesting.
Something like this:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/1385098954.html
The only problem with this kind of topic is that the ads will expire and so all the links will go dead for the entire topic.
So maybe not such a good idea...
The Hammer was a legend, and the price was exactly as you mention. There are a few around, in coupe and wagon form too.
The Hammer legend is cool, but for 80s AMG I am still lured to a widebody C126. A nice one brought something like 27K on ebay last year.
Well, ONE of MG's errors was putting those huge rubber bumpers on the car... but I don't think they made that particular error until after 1974....
Does this count as an error?
Will be a classic in three months.
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/cto/1388164315.html
The pictures? The price? The car itself? The concept of the car itself? The idea it's collectible?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/1388387910.html
gt-s was a step up, but with an auto trans, it's a snoozer.
alos, he was just unclear. The car will not be any more collectible in 3 months, but it will be 25 YO, so it can probably be registered that way.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The colors just hurt my eyes :shades:
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
But given that anything on 4 wheels in America that is clean and runs well is worth $2000-$2500, and that old cars do have a sentimental charge that overcomes rationality sometimes, he might squeeze a bit more out of it than $1800.