Mystery car pix

magnette

ab348 said:

magnette said:

Having said that - some mornings I think I might mean 1856....

I know what you mean. When I was a kid I read a book about the Detroit Lions football team in the 1960s (Paper Lion by George Plimpton) and Alex Karras, one of the players, had a saying he used when he felt he was injured or otherwise hurting: "I'm 10,000 years old!". At the time I thought it was silly.

Now I know what he was talking about.

Me too

tmart

Several Cobras, a Falcon, Corvair. Gotcha all beat...born in 44!

omarman

andys120

ab348 said:

Here's an early/mid-1960s shot with a group of interesting mystery cars in the foreground and a lot of more mundane ones in the background.

I posted this a coupla years ago. The original small block Cobra is IMHO the greatest sports car ever built. Those have the 289 CID Ford , earlier '62s with the 260 block did not have
the side air vents. Those are probably '63MY. The wind deflectors, sun visors and whitewall Goodyears were all optional extras. I have the original sales brochure from the NYIAS.

I've forgotten the name of the LA dealer for Shelby, but that must be a part of their lot.

FYI-I am 77 y/o born 1943, am I the oldest poster?

Lostwrench3

There's a 1951 Plymouth in that mix.

tmart

andys120 said:

ab348 said:

Here's an early/mid-1960s shot with a group of interesting mystery cars in the foreground and a lot of more mundane ones in the background.

I posted this a coupla years ago. The original small block Cobra is IMHO the greatest sports car ever built. Those have the 289 CID Ford , earlier '62s with the 260 block did not have
the side air vents. Those are probably '63MY. The wind deflectors, sun visors and whitewall Goodyears were all optional extras. I have the original sales brochure from the NYIAS.

I've forgotten the name of the LA dealer for Shelby, but that must be a part of their lot.

FYI-I am 77 y/o born 1943, am I the oldest poster?

Ya got me by a year. Not sure if that’s good or bad but at least we’re on the right side of the grass.

kyfdx

andys120 said:

ab348 said:

Here's an early/mid-1960s shot with a group of interesting mystery cars in the foreground and a lot of more mundane ones in the background.

I posted this a coupla years ago. The original small block Cobra is IMHO the greatest sports car ever built. Those have the 289 CID Ford , earlier '62s with the 260 block did not have
the side air vents. Those are probably '63MY. The wind deflectors, sun visors and whitewall Goodyears were all optional extras. I have the original sales brochure from the NYIAS.

I've forgotten the name of the LA dealer for Shelby, but that must be a part of their lot.

FYI-I am 77 y/o born 1943, am I the oldest poster?

I think if @Mr_Shiftright were here, he'd have you by a year.

mrwhipple311

1967 here, not old and wise enough to post regularly

andys120

Shifty would probably know the name of Shelby's LA dealership. I miss him.

andys120

Michaell

andys120 said:

Where's the boat that the motor goes to?

andys120

Michaell said:

andys120 said:

Where's the boat that the motor goes to?

Probably at the rent-a-boat place. Anyone recognize the make of that motor?


theoldmotor.com did but it was "before my time".

andys120

Is this thing on? Can anyone ID the car or the outboard?

texases

I think that's a Sea King outboard, more info here:
https://houseofwhitley.com/long-live-the-king-sea-king-midget-1946-outboard-boat-motor/

fintail

Hudson Jet

tmart

Michaell said:

andys120 said:

Where's the boat that the motor goes to?

Looks like a clone of a 52 Ford. Where is Mr Shiftright?

Lostwrench3

"After you get that thing into the trunk, gather some wood for the campfire. I have the gasoline ready."

andys120

Yup, that is a 1953 Hudson Jet, the compact developed by Hudson Motors in a total misread of the market then trending towards larger and larger cars. Some believe that the costs of developing the slow-selling Jet forced Hudson to merge w Nash.

The photo is evidently brochure art for the stripper version of that model (note MFR plate).
Other models had more trim which gave them an even stronger resemblance to Fords.

The outboard is indeed a SeaKing which was sold through Montgomery Ward which explains why i never saw one messing around w boats on LI's North Shore. There weren't many "Monkey Ward" shoppers on the "Gold Coast". All I ever saw were Evinrudes, Mercs and Johnsons.
Volvo owned the inboard/outboard market.

andys120

Lostwrench3

Ah, 4 verticals on the Chrysler front bumper = 1949 or 1953.
Let's go with a '53 New Yorker.

andys120

Lostwrench3 said:

Ah, 4 verticals on the Chrysler front bumper = 1949 or 1953.
Let's go with a '53 New Yorker.

Yep, exactly Lostwrench, a 1953 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe with optional wire wheels (Dayton or Kelsey-Hayes?) a real beauty from an otherwise bad year for Detroit styling.

andys120

An odd picture of rare cars>

fintail

356 Pre-A cabrio would be worth a pretty penny today. Looks like a Hillman Minx at right, not sure if it was called a Californian or just a cabriolet.

andys120

fintail said:

356 Pre-A cabrio would be worth a pretty penny today. Looks like a Hillman Minx at right, not sure if it was called a Californian or just a cabriolet.

About the Porsche 356: Wikipedia sez that in 1952 the 356"pre-A" got a single piece V-shaped windshield to replace the 2-panel divided glass. if so the tan car is any MY from 1948-52. The flash behind front wheel is the emblem of coachbuilder Reutter best known for the Speedsters but they built most of the early Porsche bodies open and closed.

At lower left we spy the headlight of a postwar ('46-'48) Lincoln Continental.

The Hillman Minx on right is I think a "Phase 5" from early production. These were really rare in the US until the late 50s.

Here's a bunch of rare, expensive cars being shown in a modest working class area, curious!

ab348

Here’s something different. Pic appears to be from the late ‘60s:

stickguy

Yellow VW fastback (type III?) with a 2 door white rambler hiding behind it.

magnette

Here the two door hardtop pillar less Minx which was introduced in about 1953/4 was called the Californian and I think we didn't get any special name for the convertible either. When introduced the Californian was equivalent to theMinx Series VI I think but in 55 they altered that Minx to the Mk VII and later the VIII with a longer boot and different engine spec.

Effectively both the Californian and the Convertible were replaced when Rootes brought out the initial Sunbeam Rapier - only available as a pillarless Hardtop or Convertible - in 1955, slightly before the new shape Minx came along in 56, I think although it may have been different given they often sold cars as Sunbeams elsewhere instead of Hillmans anyway.

magnette

Don't know about the ID of the custom car at the Chevron pump - my only knowledge of American Custom kits etc is Glassic, but I don't know anything about them.

In the distance there is a white Mercury Comet right behind the corner of the building - those light are a clue I think - and I see a white Rambler American 2-door behind the VW type 3 coupe

texases

Based on a Model A, judging by the gas cap location.

fintail

Yep the hot rod (likely a real car) is a 28-29 Model A with a 32 Ford style radiator shell.

In a background row at right, next to the building, a light yellow 64 Galaxie convertible with a dark top.

andys120

Yellow unit next to that Galaxie is a Morris Minor.

Michaell

This just showed up on my FB feed a while ago. The picture is relevant as this restaurant opened in my home town in CA in the late 40's, and is still owned and operated by the same family - the current owner is a former HS classmate of mine.

When I was a kid, we would go there for dinner on Sundays. Last year, we held my son's rehearsal dinner there.

andys120

4-door sedan visible on rightis a 46-48 GM car but hard to say which make. I'll go with Buick

magnette

On the right that looks like a Buick from the war years - I think the two chrome strips on the fenders are about 1942 or perhaps immediately post war...

Michaell

It looks as if there may have been a De Soto dealer to the left of the restaurant. Now it's a stereo store.

fintail

I think the car at left is a 39-40 Mercury convertible.

magnette

fintail said:

I think the car at left is a 39-40 Mercury convertible.

That would be one of the first Mercurys then.

ab348

Here's one I don't think we've seen before, courtesy of Americar on FB, from the Stardust in Las Vegas, appears to be no later than 1964 or so. Big picture, blows up nicely.

tmart

Early 60s Thunderbird, 55/56 Ford, 60 Ford wagon, Falcon wagon.

fintail

Foreground row at left looks like a 59 Mercury wagon (hardtop!) and a 62 Galaxie 2 door HT next to it.

That car of cars, the pale blue 60 Ford wagon, is likely a Country Sedan.

stickguy

In between the 2 white chevies, a baby blue rambler. Maybe a 59?

andys120

Interesting color on that Falcon wagon, I've never seen it before. '63 Pontiac nosing out next to it.

stickguy

2 door wagon also.

Lostwrench3

andys120 said:

Interesting color on that Falcon wagon, I've never seen it before. '63 Pontiac nosing out next to it.

Beechwood Brown?
I'm surprised to see that it had a wheelbase of 109.5, I would have guessed shorter.

imidazol97

I can honestly say I've never seen a Falcon in that color on the wagon, beechwood brown...
1960 Ford list
http://www.xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1960-Ford-Falcon-Wagons.pdf

andys120

Interesting brochure, it shows two-tone schemes available. I don't remember ever seeing a tu-tone Falcon.

bhill2

andys120 said:

Interesting brochure, it shows two-tone schemes available. I don't remember ever seeing a tu-tone Falcon.

Actually, when I was a kid my best friend's parents had a '60 Falcon wagon that was red with a white top. I thought it looked much classier than my parents all red Falcon (we were not upper class families).

Oh, while I'm here, the baby blue Rambler that Stickguy mentioned is a '60; that was the first year they had the cathedral tail lights.

andys120

I was also struck by the number of choices for interior colors for a low-end car. That doesn't exist any more.

andys120

ab348

andys120 said:

I was also struck by the number of choices for interior colors for a low-end car. That doesn't exist any more.

Or even a high-end car in many cases. We have an epidemic of black interiors. That must change eventually.