Mystery car pix

andys120

You guys have sgarp eyes but the blue roadster could be either a Sprite or a TR3 IMHO. At TOM they say Sprite but sure it could be a Triumph.

texases

I think you can see a bit of the Bugeye grill surround.

ab348

The TR3 also has a bit of a bugeye vibe to the front end/headlights, though they are better integrated on the Triumph. I don’t know how you can tell for certain from the little we see in that picture but TR3 was my first reaction. Definitely old Las Vegas.

explorerx4

My original thought was a Bugeye but now I'm on the TR3 bandwagon.
The grille seems too wide for a Bugeye.

fintail

Aurora Village Mall, Seattle, 1990 - malaise fest. This mall was ahead of its time, closing in 1992 and demolished in 1994 (zooms well enough):

texases

Jeep Comanche with a cap front left.

explorerx4

A Fox Body Mustang, Fox Body LTD, Isuzu P'UP.

Michaell

Taurus wagon and an F-150.

fintail

Car beside the Jeep is a 78-79 Audi 5000 missing a headlight bezel, and the white car continues on a theme, appearing to be a VW Fox wagon.

stickguy

S10 Blazer far right.

xwesx

The Ford Pickup is the early 70s iteration. It's too far away for me to see enough detail to pinpoint a year, so I'll just guess a 72 or 73. I liked the light modifications they made to the front end of the 76/77, before they went to the rectangular headlights in 78.

sda

Chevy Monza coupe far right of the maroon F-150. I came close to buying a 78 medium metallic blue Audi 5000 in 82 for $2600. I really liked it but it had needed front struts and some other work. CR showed it had a horrible repair record so I passed on it and later bought my 80 Mazda 626 coupe.

fintail

sda said:

Chevy Monza coupe far right of the maroon F-150. I came close to buying a 78 medium metallic blue Audi 5000 in 82 for $2600. I really liked it but it had needed front struts and some other work. CR showed it had a horrible repair record so I passed on it and later bought my 80 Mazda 626 coupe.

You made a wise choice. Aside from the Mazda being a relatively pretty and reliable car, those early 5000s were apparently something to avoid - even in the online newspaper archives I read now and then, depreciation was catastrophic, and that was a time when MBs and BMWs depreciate quite slowly. Kind of a shame, I don't mind the look of those cars, especially the 80+ facelift to rectangular headlights.

fintail

Aberdeen WA, May 29 1972 (should zoom well):

explorerx4

Coming in 2nd to the 63 Impala is a 70 Mustang.

stickguy

behind the Mustang is a very beat up 60s Dodge PU camper. much nicer Chevy behind that one.

back a ways in that row is a Vega. next row over a tiny white car between a Chevy and Caddy, probably a 2 door Corolla.

explorerx4

A couple of oddballs spotted while walking the grand-dogs.

explorerx4

How about this one? Hit a huge pothole on the highway.

fintail

Car behind the VW Thing the short lived Taurus X, from Ford's weird short flash of time?

Sad about the Lincoln LS ,looks to have been clean beforehand. Rarely see those anymore.

explorerx4

Hat Trick for Fintail!

stickguy

the X was the Freestyle before the name change. Unless it was after. I forget which order it came in!

fintail

stickguy said:

the X was the Freestyle before the name change. Unless it was after. I forget which order it came in!

I think you are right. At least per my anecdotal memory, the oddly badged Taurus version is less common.

xwesx

Correct; originally Freestyle and Ford Five Hundred. Then the Five Hundred became Taurus and Freestyle became Taurus X. LOL

ab348

fintail said:

stickguy said:

the X was the Freestyle before the name change. Unless it was after. I forget which order it came in!

I think you are right. At least per my anecdotal memory, the oddly badged Taurus version is less common.

That's because they barely sold any.

imidazol97

fintail said:

Aberdeen WA, May 29 1972 (should zoom well):

I can't find a 1960 Ford anywhere in the pic.
I do see a 1960 El Camino parked below the SPAR sign.

texases

Those '60 Fords seemed to have a short shelf life, I doubt many survived to 1972.
Vega in back.

ab348

imidazol97 said:

fintail said:

Aberdeen WA, May 29 1972 (should zoom well):

I can't find a 1960 Ford anywhere in the pic.
I do see a 1960 El Camino parked below the SPAR sign.

Two vehicles back of the El Camino is a '68 Cutlass.

xwesx

Oooh, that '69 or '70 Suburban is the pick of the crop!

ab348

Not a '69 - that has a '70 to '72 grille.

fintail

Seattle 1996 - longer ago than it seems (should zoom nicely):

stickguy

early Legacy center. I had the wagon version of this vintage. Right, the rump of a Mazda 323 2 door. Red 4 door dodge colt in the center of the lot. and a nice steel blue 2 door Integra under the giant sign.

tjc78

In the middle: First gen Taurus, Cavalier, Bronco II and a short wheelbase 91-95 Caravan or Voyager

explorerx4

VW Rabbit leaving the lot on the left. White Chevy Cavalier closest car under the work Giant.
Red Subaru wagon behind the Integra?

xwesx

ab348 said:

Not a '69 - that has a '70 to '72 grille.

The image is not high enough resolution, and the angle/light isn't good enough, for me to distinguish the subtle differences between 69 and 70, but it is definitely the 69/70 grille pattern having that strong stripe across the middle. 71/72 has the crate pattern with no stripe and the bowtie in the middle.

On second look, though, this one has the bowtie in the middle of the stripe, which, by the look of the openings to top and bottom of the stripe, means it is probably a 1968. The 67-68 had a far lower angle on the crease at the front of the hood, but this angle just doesn't allow us to see that very well one way or another. From what we can see, this one is most likely a '68 unless it just happened to be a custom job!

ab348

xwesx said:

ab348 said:

Not a '69 - that has a '70 to '72 grille.

The image is not high enough resolution, and the angle/light isn't good enough, for me to distinguish the subtle differences between 69 and 70, but it is definitely the 69/70 grille pattern having that strong stripe across the middle. 71/72 has the crate pattern with no stripe and the bowtie in the middle.

On second look, though, this one has the bowtie in the middle of the stripe, which, by the look of the openings to top and bottom of the stripe, means it is probably a 1968. The 67-68 had a far lower angle on the crease at the front of the hood, but this angle just doesn't allow us to see that very well one way or another. From what we can see, this one is most likely a '68 unless it just happened to be a custom job!

I was in error by thinking the ‘70 had what you call the crate pattern - that didn’t appear until ‘71. The pic blows up well enough on my iPad to see that it is a ‘71 or ‘72 grille. When you blow it up I don’t see any stripe across the grille at all, though the bow tie is clearly visible.

fintail

Aberdeen WA, October 1960 - zooms fine:

stickguy

2 tone '60 Ford 4 door far left.

sda

58 Chevy up against the A&W.

tmart

52 Ford front and center, 59 Ford wagon, probably a Ranch Wagon, under the Coke sign.

kyfdx

MMMMMM.... A&W

Lostwrench3

kyfdx said:

MMMMMM.... A&W

My hangout during high school days.

fintail

Yep the 59 Ford wagon appears to be a two door model.

What's the mystery car parked nearest the building? Hint: it's newer than it looks

xwesx

I remember going to an A&W in the early 1980s, though I don't remember where it was. I just recall that the root beer float was so tasty! I didn't go to another until a good twenty years later, and by then it was just another fast food restaurant. Such a disappointment.

kyfdx

Our regular A&W was in Lucasville, OH. early '70s

sda

A proper root beer or coca cola float, yum. I can't remember that last time I had one.

fintail

Red Robin had a good "bottomless" root beer float a while back. I always made sure to get my money's worth

The mystery car at the drive-in is an Austin A40, which sold in some numbers stateside around 1950.

fintail

Aberdeen WA, same date in 1972 facing the other direction, should zoom ok:

stickguy

nice Chevy II convert at the bottom.

tmart

Mustang and 61Ford Country Squire

andys120

I don't think the 'vert beyond the mobile home is a Mustang. Looks like a 60s era Malibu .

White Chevy parked on right is a'65-66 Impala