That's something that just hit me...wouldn't the VW Thing have the same bolt pattern as a Beetle? And I remember Beetles having those odd, old fashioned, hollowed-out wheels with a very wide bolt pattern.
You're (mostly) right about the Thing's bolt pattern, although the Beetle switched to a more common narrow 4-bolt pattern around 1967 (to go to front disc brakes, I presume?).
Every "Thing" I've ever seen, though, had that older, wide 5-bolt pattern, which I'm sure made the wheel adapters popular.
Yeah the stretched headlights are pretty crap, but at least they are somewhat thin/narrow, not like on the ridiculous looking Solara or the prev gen ES.
I think that rear window breaks the beltline, makes it look disjointed.
I don't know how much visibility it actually adds...it's not a large window, and the dip is what, 1cm?
I can see it as a differentiation tool - different for the sake of being different, if anything.
And I'm not bashing the car, don't get me wrong...show that thing to the head of Hyundai USA 20 years ago, tell him it's a future Hyundai, and I am certain he wouldn't believe you. I just find the dip off-putting.
1978-79 Magnum XE coupe. About the closest thing to a musclecar left in production by that time. You could get a 400-4bbl in the '78 that was still sorta quick, or a 360-4bbl in '79 that might've gotten it from 0-60 in just under 10 seconds. Most of them just had 318's or 360-2bbls though, I believe.
There was still a 440-4bbl floating around in 1978, but I don't think you could get it in the Magnum, or its sister the Cordoba.
They're horribly space-inefficient by today's standards, but pretty good compared to a '73-77 era GM coupe or a Ford LTD-II. However, GM's downsized '78-intermediates blew everything else out of the water when it came to getting a decent amount of interior room in a smaller package.
Considering what a low-budget movie RoboCop was, I always thought the 6000SUX came off pretty good. They used a '73-77 era Cutlass Supreme sedan as the basis. IIRC, they chose that platform because they wanted a big car, but they still wanted something that would lend itself to being molded over into a futuristic looking car. This generation of A-body sedan had an open, airy, almost futuristic looking greenhouse.
I think the biggest problem with that dip in the rear window is that it really messes up the way the beltline flows, and it makes it look like two totally different cars were joined at the B-pillar. If the bottom of the door window dropped down toward the back, instead of coming straight across, and they re-shaped the rear window to line up with it, it might have looked better. Otherwise though, the car's pretty attractive.
Also, if those rear windows are anything like the typical stationary flush-mounted window of today, the actual opening, what you can look out of, is probably about 1/3 the area of that outer glass.
Yep, it is a 1954 Pontiac Star Chief Catalina. Pastel colors of that sort were commonplace starting from the mid-'50's to the early '60s. I sure don't recall anything like that on the Boxster or any modern car.
Good guess but it's a '50 Windsor, it looks like the top-of the-line with those Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. I don't know the pecking order for Chryslers of that era.
Good guess but it's a '50 Windsor, it looks like the top-of the-line with those Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. I don't know the pecking order for Chryslers of that era.
Yeah, those Kelsey-Hayes wheels were what threw me off and made me think it was a higher-end model. Back in those days, the lineup pretty much went Windsor-New Yorker-Imperial, although sometimes they'd break the Windsor out into two sub-series, like Windsor and Windsor DeLuxe. Ditto the NYer. And some years, they slipped the Saratoga in there, which was kinda like a Buick Century...the bigger NYer engine in the lighter Windsor body.
"Yeah, those Kelsey-Hayes wheels were what threw me off "
How many cars really came with the KHs, anyway? Seems to me like the fancy wheels you see on so many restored 60s Mustangs - I never remember seeing so many back in the the 60s!
How many cars really came with the KHs, anyway? I'd imagine they were pretty rare back in the day. I have an old Chrysler history book that shows some factory pics of 1953-era Chryslers and DeSotos with them. I think there's a pic of one of those stubby '53-54 Plymouths or Dodges with 'em, too.
How many cars really came with the KHs, anyway? Seems to me like the fancy wheels you see on so many restored 60s Mustangs - I never remember seeing so many back in the the 60s!
Yep they were pretty rare, all right. Certain limited edition cars came with them from the factory, the '53 and '54 Buick Skylarks come to mind and I think they could be ordered on certain Eldorados and Thunderbirds. KH wires were available for almost any car via the aftermarket but were very expensive and rare.
As ther 50s melted into the 60s and Euro Sports Cars became more commonplace the wire-wheel look became increasingly popular. Snap-On wire wheel covers could be and were ordered on everything from humble Falcons and Valiants to Rivieras and Galaxies. I'd estimate perhaps as many as 1/3 of all '65-'66 Mustangs wore them.
By the mid-'60s the "Mag wheel" had supplanted the wire wheel as the wheel to have on sports cars and sporty cars. Naturally cheaper stamped steel wheels and wheel discs were often employed to mimic the look of magnesium and alloy racing wheels. By the turn of the decade the wire wheel, whether real or faux, had practically disappeared from new cars.
Here's a late example of a fake wire cover on an unusual application>
You guys are sharp today, it's a DS20 Decapotable. I have no idea why anyone would put such a phony retro item on the most avant-garde automobile ever made. :lemon:
Comments
Why/how does that VW Thing have Chevy S-10 wheels? :confuse:
Every "Thing" I've ever seen, though, had that older, wide 5-bolt pattern, which I'm sure made the wheel adapters popular.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Yeah, it's a '49 Chrysler Crown Imperial..
PS-Correcto as well on the Cit C5.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
They took some risks, and it does look like the concept. So no watered down production version.
But...did the headlights have to mimick Lexus? I just don't like that front-end much.
The profile is neat. I like the C-pillar.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
One of those late 70s early 80s big-on-the-outside-but-small-on-the-inside coupes that made buying a Civic or Corolla a popular trend at the time.
I think that rear window breaks the beltline, makes it look disjointed.
Without that cue, it would be a G35 or Altima coupe clone.
I can see it as a differentiation tool - different for the sake of being different, if anything.
And I'm not bashing the car, don't get me wrong...show that thing to the head of Hyundai USA 20 years ago, tell him it's a future Hyundai, and I am certain he wouldn't believe you. I just find the dip off-putting.
It does seem like there is a window there. Often times that's just an afterthought to the design.
There was still a 440-4bbl floating around in 1978, but I don't think you could get it in the Magnum, or its sister the Cordoba.
They're horribly space-inefficient by today's standards, but pretty good compared to a '73-77 era GM coupe or a Ford LTD-II. However, GM's downsized '78-intermediates blew everything else out of the water when it came to getting a decent amount of interior room in a smaller package.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
That color is somewhat unique.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Also, if those rear windows are anything like the typical stationary flush-mounted window of today, the actual opening, what you can look out of, is probably about 1/3 the area of that outer glass.
Yep, it is a 1954 Pontiac Star Chief Catalina. Pastel colors of that sort were commonplace starting from the mid-'50's to the early '60s. I sure don't recall anything like that on the Boxster or any modern car.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I've seen a few used as rally cars in Finnish videos.
Yep, it's the Hillman/Riley/Singer/Sunbeam Imp, ca.id 60's, the heyday of British badge engineering and the end of the road for Rootes and BMC.
I didn't notice the screwy angle of the hood. :lemon:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Yeah, those Kelsey-Hayes wheels were what threw me off and made me think it was a higher-end model. Back in those days, the lineup pretty much went Windsor-New Yorker-Imperial, although sometimes they'd break the Windsor out into two sub-series, like Windsor and Windsor DeLuxe. Ditto the NYer. And some years, they slipped the Saratoga in there, which was kinda like a Buick Century...the bigger NYer engine in the lighter Windsor body.
How many cars really came with the KHs, anyway? Seems to me like the fancy wheels you see on so many restored 60s Mustangs - I never remember seeing so many back in the the 60s!
How many cars really came with the KHs, anyway? Seems to me like the fancy wheels you see on so many restored 60s Mustangs - I never remember seeing so many back in the the 60s!
Yep they were pretty rare, all right. Certain limited edition cars came with them from the factory, the '53 and '54 Buick Skylarks come to mind and I think they could be ordered on certain Eldorados and Thunderbirds. KH wires were available for almost any car via the aftermarket but were very expensive and rare.
As ther 50s melted into the 60s and Euro Sports Cars became more commonplace
the wire-wheel look became increasingly popular. Snap-On wire wheel covers could be and were ordered on everything from humble Falcons and Valiants to Rivieras and Galaxies. I'd estimate perhaps as many as 1/3 of all '65-'66 Mustangs wore them.
By the mid-'60s the "Mag wheel" had supplanted the wire wheel as the wheel to
have on sports cars and sporty cars. Naturally cheaper stamped steel wheels and wheel discs were often employed to mimic the look of magnesium and alloy racing wheels. By the turn of the decade the wire wheel, whether real or faux, had practically disappeared from new cars.
Here's a late example of a fake wire cover on an unusual application>
Care to guess what this is on.?
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
You guys are sharp today, it's a DS20 Decapotable. I have no idea why anyone would put such a phony retro item on the most avant-garde automobile ever made. :lemon:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Wheels are not stock.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93