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

texases

True, but I bet I can buy a better 1990 Vette for $10k than a 1970 one.

gsemike

kyfdx said:

texases said:

Around the bottom of Corvettes, without the 'flames'. 10 years newer, please!

Or, 10 years older..

It seems to be a thing here, the disco vettes being modded. I guess bought cheap and a small block is a small block so LS swap. I can think of a few I've seen around that are actually done nicely

fintail

A few more things for sale:

Probably beyond redemption, this is how a car ages in 60 years here

Not sure if that stripe is original but it has the right aesthetic

The curbstoner again, might be a nice car and I don't know what these go for, but it's even on dealer plates, c'mon "by owner"

Mighty diesel and some parts

Another type of diesel - wheels are a bit 90s for me and the wheelarch trim always irks me, but looks really nice and the most boring color matches the era

Turbo for Jeanie Bueller or Arlo Pear cosplay, maybe fair too

Newer rare turbo - my brother had a sedan version of this which is also a hen's tooth, was stolen and eventually found destroyed, he was pretty upset

Big miles

Seems like a cool powertrain but dear for condition

Underrated car perhaps, price is filled with covid optimism/insanity

Rubber baby buggy bumpers

xwesx

fintail said:

Big miles

"has tippicle engine rattle due to oil pump seal."

It has what, now? The guy worked to misspell that one!

fintail

xwesx said:

fintail said:

Big miles

"has tippicle engine rattle due to oil pump seal."

It has what, now? The guy worked to misspell that one!

Close enough to Idaho for me to let it go

Also verbose ad copy for "needs engine rebuild or replacement stat".

bhill2

That Volvo 122S is just sad. I had two of them, and you couldn't kill them with a howitzer. Also fun to drive and VERY comfortable.

gsemike

Not running. Hit on side. No title. 6800. No lowballs!!

oldfarmer50

gsemike said:

Not running. Hit on side. No title. 6800. No lowballs!!

Can’t tow yards get a clear title in abandoned cases like that with a mechanic’s lien? Although I’m not sure it would be worth much more with 100k and accident damage.

gsemike

@oldfarmer50 should be able to through a mechanic's lien, I think

gsemike

His neighbors must love him

oldfarmer50

gsemike said:

His neighbors must love him

Would it kill him to air up the tires for the picture?

gsemike

@oldfarmer50 I don't think there is even a tire on the back

ab348

gsemike said:

@oldfarmer50 I don't think there is even a tire on the back

"Runs good, needs work."

gsemike

ab348 said:

gsemike said:

@oldfarmer50 I don't think there is even a tire on the back

"Runs good, needs work."

Probably just bad gas

fintail

Took the old dear out for a drive today, put maybe 50 miles on the car in total - the car is still quite happy to loaf along at 40-50 mph, started right up and drove fine. The goofy timing issue a couple months back hasn't came up again - on that note, next week I am going to find a shop who will be sympathetic and take the car in for a service and maybe check out the timing to be safe - looking for a place that isn't intimidated by the car is becoming a challenge, even if the last place admitted it was easy once they got to it (if it comes to it I could take it back - the place I found when I moved here stopped working on cars so old).

Gratuitous pic for today, got at least one wave and a host of looks as usual:

gsemike

Shopping on Long Island

Looks decent until you get to where the landeau top was That's scary

Be the only one at cruise night for 5 grand I actually kind of dig it as a buy it and drive it thing. You'd have to be nuts to restore it

Barely a thousand miles a year on this Maxima Looks terrific but price is still aspirational. Will need a really good explanation for those miles

A dune buggy with a Bentley kit

Interesting Fairmont Could use this as a move car

fintail

gsemike said:

Shopping on Long Island

Looks decent until you get to where the landeau top was That's scary

Be the only one at cruise night for 5 grand I actually kind of dig it as a buy it and drive it thing. You'd have to be nuts to restore it

Barely a thousand miles a year on this Maxima Looks terrific but price is still aspirational. Will need a really good explanation for those miles

A dune buggy with a Bentley kit

Interesting Fairmont Could use this as a move car

Mercury wagon is quite cool, nice look with the hidden headlights. Needs pics in daylight, those ones make me suspicious. The plood can be corrected cheap enough, but not terminal rot.

4DSC is maybe several years ahead of the market but knock a bit off and worth it for someone. That was around the zenith of Nissan's relevance in this market.

ab348

fintail said:

Be the only one at cruise night for 5 grand I actually kind of dig it as a buy it and drive it thing. You'd have to be nuts to restore it

Mercury wagon is quite cool, nice look with the hidden headlights. Needs pics in daylight, those ones make me suspicious. The plood can be corrected cheap enough, but not terminal rot.

That one caught my eye too and I have the same concerns as you. The '69-'72 big Mercs are ones I quite like as they seem to have been made more Ford-like and cheapened somewhat for '73 and later. I have gotten into the Tony's Car Care channel on YT (Adam's friend) who recently had a side by side of his '77 Country Squire and a buddy's '73 Colony Park. Quite the pair of barges!

gsemike

ab348 said:

fintail said:

Be the only one at cruise night for 5 grand I actually kind of dig it as a buy it and drive it thing. You'd have to be nuts to restore it

Mercury wagon is quite cool, nice look with the hidden headlights. Needs pics in daylight, those ones make me suspicious. The plood can be corrected cheap enough, but not terminal rot.

That one caught my eye too and I have the same concerns as you. The '69-'72 big Mercs are ones I quite like as they seem to have been made more Ford-like and cheapened somewhat for '73 and later. I have gotten into the Tony's Car Care channel on YT (Adam's friend) who recently had a side by side of his '77 Country Squire and a buddy's '73 Colony Park. Quite the pair of barges!

Looks like a cool YT channel. Going to check it out.

With the plood, I wonder if a vinyl wrap place would tackle it

fintail

ab348 said:

fintail said:

Be the only one at cruise night for 5 grand I actually kind of dig it as a buy it and drive it thing. You'd have to be nuts to restore it

Mercury wagon is quite cool, nice look with the hidden headlights. Needs pics in daylight, those ones make me suspicious. The plood can be corrected cheap enough, but not terminal rot.

That one caught my eye too and I have the same concerns as you. The '69-'72 big Mercs are ones I quite like as they seem to have been made more Ford-like and cheapened somewhat for '73 and later. I have gotten into the Tony's Car Care channel on YT (Adam's friend) who recently had a side by side of his '77 Country Squire and a buddy's '73 Colony Park. Quite the pair of barges!

YT suggested that one for me too, I will have to watch it.

That pair reminds me of a movie with similar cars - the cool hidden headlights 70 Squire in Close Encounters of the Third Kind:



And the more modest spec fleet style LTD shown later in the movie:

ab348

The two wagons in question in Tony’s recent video:



The Merc has unfortunate Cragar S/S wheels which are totally inappropriate for a car like that. Tony recently acquired a NOS set of 1977 Ford wire wheel covers for his car which really improved the looks and which the Colony Park needs as well. I do like the front end of the Merc better than the Ford.

fintail

Can't go wrong with hidden headlights (unless they go wrong) - makes me think of the 72 Monaco with similar.

ab348 said:

The two wagons in question in Tony’s recent video:

The Merc has unfortunate Cragar S/S wheels which are totally inappropriate for a car like that. Tony recently acquired a NOS set of 1977 Ford wire wheel covers for his car which really improved the looks and which the Colony Park needs as well. I do like the front end of the Merc better than the Ford.

fintail

Got the fintail back from the new to me shop for its yearly servicing. No real issues - they said the car got some attention when parked out front, and is completely roadworthy. Car received its annual oil change along with brake fluid change (probably been a decade) and a new air filter. Air filters, which I think are unique to FI cars, were really hard to find for a long while, before the internet one sometimes had to either luck into a new old stock item, or use air pressure to clean the old unit. $80 for an air filter, but as the one in the car was ancient, probably not from this century, I guess it was time. I am happy to have a shop not scared of the car, and who will be happy to have it back when need be.

tjc78

I love your history with your car. Makes me wish I kept my 89 Lincoln Town Car (sold in 2004).

gsemike

This Caddy will appeal to many of us.

Fair deal I think

texases

$1800? That's a bargain!

oldfarmer50

Did they say how many miles on that car? The Northstar engines at that time had an average life expectancy of 50-70k miles before the heads blew or began hemorrhaging oil. I believe 1998 was the worst year in fact. I’d much rather have a 2005-2011 one where they at least somewhat fixed the problems.

Still, for $1800 these days, if you could get a year out of it, why not?

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

Did they say how many miles on that car? The Northstar engines at that time had an average life expectancy of 50-70k miles before the heads blew or began hemorrhaging oil. I believe 1998 was the worst year in fact.

Still, for $1800 these days, if you could get a year out of it, why not?

Did you read the article? 120K on the clock.

texases

It's a risk, but that low price has folks voting over 80% 'nice price'.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Did they say how many miles on that car? The Northstar engines at that time had an average life expectancy of 50-70k miles before the heads blew or began hemorrhaging oil. I believe 1998 was the worst year in fact.

Still, for $1800 these days, if you could get a year out of it, why not?

Did you read the article? 120K on the clock.

Couldn’t read it all, the page kept glitching. 120k you say? No thanks.

Yikes! I just did a search for the 2005-2011 DeVille and the prices are insane. What were sub $5k cars in 2020 are now $10k+ cars four years later. The world no longer makes sense.

fintail

tjc78 said:

I love your history with your car. Makes me wish I kept my 89 Lincoln Town Car (sold in 2004).

You could always get another one, or maybe even find your old car! I saw a really nice later one like yours on the road the other day.

Another odd new part for the old car, oil drain plug, as the one in the car (which I think I replaced ages ago - the old style plugs have an alan key type fitting and wear out), $12.

fintail

For that Caddy, get a year or two out of it and the price might be ok, but expect issues unless a genius has worked on the engine. That upholstery is awfully shiny.

Used car prices are still nuts, houses too.

stickguy

I see jalopnik got mature and switched to no dice instead of crack pipe.

tjc78

I was never a huge fan of that era of > @fintail said:

You could always get another one, or maybe even find your old car! I saw a really nice later one like yours on the road the other day.

Another odd new part for the old car, oil drain plug, as the one in the car (which I think I replaced ages ago - the old style plugs have an alan key type fitting and wear out), $12.

It will come soon! Told the wife as soon as the golf cart is paid off.

I’m torn as to what Lincoln I would get. I am very partial to 88/89 Town Cars but the 77-79 Continentals and Mark V are also perfect for me.

I tend to think since I haven’t had one a Mark V may be the ticket. A designer series with a 460 would be ok.

As for my 89… I’m sure it’s a washing machine by now. I saw it about 6 months after selling it and it was all smashed and disgusting inside.

fintail

tjc78 said:

I was never a huge fan of that era of > @fintail said:

You could always get another one, or maybe even find your old car! I saw a really nice later one like yours on the road the other day.

Another odd new part for the old car, oil drain plug, as the one in the car (which I think I replaced ages ago - the old style plugs have an alan key type fitting and wear out), $12.

It will come soon! Told the wife as soon as the golf cart is paid off.

I’m torn as to what Lincoln I would get. I am very partial to 88/89 Town Cars but the 77-79 Continentals and Mark V are also perfect for me.

I tend to think since I haven’t had one a Mark V may be the ticket. A designer series with a 460 would be ok.

As for my 89… I’m sure it’s a washing machine by now. I saw it about 6 months after selling it and it was all smashed and disgusting inside.

Mark V should be easy as they seem to have strong survival rates, the only thing limiting you will be choice of options/colors, and budget.

When I part ways with a car, I don't want to see it again. I know I will not be pleased with its upkeep. Only car I've sold that I randomly spotted was my E55, at a car wash about 2 years after I sold it. At least they were washing it. My W126 300SE had nearly 200K on it when I sold it ~20 years ago, although I sold it to an older guy who was probably gentle with it, I am not certain it exists today - maybe should find the VIN and see what's out there.

I think about what I might want if I was to seek a malaise era car - if heaven forbid something happened to the fintail, I would probably eventually find another hobby car, and it would likely be something newer. That era has seen a lot of demand and price increases. For domestic cars, maybe the perfectly optioned 80-81 Seville Elegante or maybe a first style Versailles, but both would have to be ideal in spec and condition. If I somehow found a clone of our 85 Tempo, that could be fun too, but probably doesn't exist in the condition I would want. Period MBs in nice condition can be dear, with sedans often costing more than equivalent SLs, as they were driven rather than saved. For Japanese cars, maybe an early Supra or Cressida, perhaps a captive import Mitsu hardtop or Mazda Cosmo, but those too are either a mess or dear, if one can find a good example at all.

stickguy

I would not mind some of the JDM cars I loved in my youth. The wedge Celicas, stuff like that. Or a gen 1 GTI. But I think of domestics more when you say that.

So either an AMC to relive the 2 I had, or my actual favorite of the era, a '74 GTO (the Nova based version). Always liked those.

Michaell

I wouldn’t mind finding a ‘67 Mercury Monterey coupe like my grandma had. 390 V8 and “as big as a whale”

(I know, that’s supposed to be a Chrysler, but the comparison fits)

stickguy

especially now with so much congestion and tight parking, I don't know why you guys want barges like that. But probably not much worse than a half ton PU

fintail

The real exotic stuff from when I was a kid/young is all collectible now and pretty out of reach, at least material I would want. Maybe the most affordable period exotics are Rolls-Royces, and they are in that category for many reasons.

I suppose finding a twin (but without needs) to my dad's 60 Country Sedan would also be cool, but that might be as likely as the Tempo.

I suspect that Mercury seats about 20.

Michaell

fintail said:

I suspect that Mercury seats about 20.

Only if they’re supermodels.

tjc78

@fintail
Some cool choices there. The Cressida would be very unique at a car show… especially a loaded up model with the tufted velour seats

If wasn’t going land yacht… I wouldn’t mind a Starion or Conquest. 85-87 Shelby Charger, same years Shelby Daytona too.

fintail

tjc78 said:

@fintail

Some cool choices there. The Cressida would be very unique at a car show… especially a loaded up model with the tufted velour seats

If wasn’t going land yacht… I wouldn’t mind a Starion or Conquest. 85-87 Shelby Charger, same years Shelby Daytona too.

Back when the cars were current, a friend of my dad had a maybe 85-86 Cressida. It had the button tufted leather interior - the car really struck me as unusual then, as it was so modern looking outside, but to me the seats were like in a traditional Cadillac. Sadly, the drift community has ran a lot of those cars into the ground.

sda

I would not mind a 73 Cutlass Salon or Grand Am. An

Omni GLH, or GLHS would be fun. Oddly my 89 Seville was a fun car in its own way. I got strange looks when I had it. I was in my early thirties and I think folks expected a gray hair driving. That is me today! I wish I had taken dad’s offer to buy (cheap, cheap) his 79 Eldorado diesel. It was immaculate. I was living in an apartment with limited parking. There was a reputable garage that did 350 Olds gas conversions which I strongly considered.

fintail

sda said:

I would not mind a 73 Cutlass Salon or Grand Am. An

Omni GLH, or GLHS would be fun. Oddly my 89 Seville was a fun car in its own way. I got strange looks when I had it. I was in my early thirties and I think folks expected a gray hair driving. That is me today! I wish I had taken dad’s offer to buy (cheap, cheap) his 79 Eldorado diesel. It was immaculate. I was living in an apartment with limited parking. There was a reputable garage that did 350 Olds gas conversions which I strongly considered.

I think a few of us here have been into that "old man" car thing at a young age. Being an 18 year old in the fintail or a 20-something in my W126 got a few looks and "grandpa car" comments too.

tjc78

fintail said:

sda said:

I would not mind a 73 Cutlass Salon or Grand Am. An

Omni GLH, or GLHS would be fun. Oddly my 89 Seville was a fun car in its own way. I got strange looks when I had it. I was in my early thirties and I think folks expected a gray hair driving. That is me today! I wish I had taken dad’s offer to buy (cheap, cheap) his 79 Eldorado diesel. It was immaculate. I was living in an apartment with limited parking. There was a reputable garage that did 350 Olds gas conversions which I strongly considered.

I think a few of us here have been into that "old man" car thing at a young age. Being an 18 year old in the fintail or a 20-something in my W126 got a few looks and "grandpa car" comments too.

I’m the epitome of that.. first car was an 89 Grand Marquis

stickguy

I’m an old
Man and still can’t stand old
Man cars!

qbrozen

I don’t think I know what is an old man car these days. At least not new ones.

Michaell

Genesis G90?

fintail

In some way modern old man cars could be the German luxobarges and Lexus/Genesis equivalents as I suspect they have a close to retiree average buyer age, and although cloned dumpling CUVs are everyone cars, they don't exactly have a young aura to them either - grandmas and grandpas love their RAV4s and Escapes.

oldfarmer50

Actually, it’s only the old men who can afford the fancy sports cars like Corvettes and fast foreign cars.