I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

sda

Very oddly equipped, pretty much a stripper. I haven’t seen a gauge package in that series of Buick before. They even splurged on a clock. Those interior door panels are very cheap looking and disappointing for a Buick.

stickguy

stick shift people are a weird breed.

texases

I’d call that ‘unusual and unwanted’. Gotta be a small market for it.

uplanderguy

3-speed in those full-size GM V8's went away mid-year '71, when Turbo Hydramatic became standard equipment. As a kid even, I remember when ads started touting that, but when I looked at window stickers on new ones then I was like, "Hey! The base price went up $300!".

At the same time, power steering was made standard too.

roadburner

I saw a Dodge Little Red Express. It looked to be in excellent condition.

stickguy

I love those.

andre1969

uplanderguy said:

andre, I learned something the other day. Did you know that in an '87 Grand Prix, you could get the 4.3 V6? I verified to the brochure. The 3.8 was standard, but the 4.3 was optional. Never knew that.

I remember we had a conversation along these lines about the Bonneville G, which I presume would apply to the Grand Prix, as well. The EPA website lists the Bonneville G as offering the 4.3 for 1986, with both a 3-speed and 4-speed automatic. It also lists the Grand Prix as offering the 4.3, with both transmissions, in 1986 and 1987. If the Bonneville G had made it through '87, I'm sure it would've offered the 4.3 that year as well.

Interestingly, the EPA also lists the Chevy 4.3 as being offered in the Regal, for 1985 only. Maybe that's because the Regal was still on a V6 kick, and with the Buick 4.1 going away after 1984, they needed something to fill the gap. But then they started offering the Olds 307 in 1986, so that made the 4.3 V6 redundant.

Personally, I always thought it was a shame that they didn't offer the improved, fuel-injected 231 in the G-bodies, rather than sticking with that old 110 hp 2-bbl job. But, I have a feeling that the people who were buying V6 G-bodies really didn't care, either way, while a lot of them simply preferred a V8. Plus, by 1986, I think the fuel injected 231 was up to 150 hp, which was 10 more the 307, and that probably would have confused some buyers!

I guess you could argue, why not improve the 307, as well. But my guess is these cars were almost pure profit, the way they were, so GM just wanted to let them run their course more or less as-is, until their true replacements came out.

uplanderguy

I regret never driving a 4.3. It seemed like it had to have been better than the 3.8. Starting in '85, it was the only V6 offered in a RWD Chevy. Funny to me that Buick and Pontiac made you pay extra for it, when it was standard on the Chevy.

fintail

Saw an explorerx4 special - white late run Fox Mustang 5.0 LX convertible, white with white top and white wheels, could have passed for a new car.

explorerx4

@fintail,
Pretty sure that was called a Summer Edition.
A couple of weeks ago, one of my neighbor's convinced me to join the local Mustang club.
At the meeting, I met a few people and you could really go down a rabbit hole discussing Mustangs and other Fords.

texases

@uplanderguy said:
On BaT now. This 3-speed '71 LeSabre is certainly unusual, but not the typical condition of cars I've seen on BaT.

I've never seen one with a 3-speed.

Front seat has been reupholstered. Upper door panels were hard plastic on the base LeSabre, like Chevy's Bel Air then.

This one was built in Wilmington, DE, which is where virtually every '71-76 full-size Chevy my hometown dealer got in--including our '74 Impala Sport Coupe--was built.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-buick-lesabre-4/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLzXKlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHk2Mj1AsSFh8auiI3piCzYb3GvNV0lYTAnj5XCC4RM7R8V1EKWh7VOFy68_i_aem_9YTVCV0EJt_C1B9gTXWdBg

Still at $1000. Those wheels cost more than that, wonder why they spent that much on alloys that look like steelies.

uplanderguy

That car would be more interesting to me with original seat material, lack of door signage outside, and factory wheels even if dog-dish caps.

While I don't study BaT, I've not seen a car like that, condition-wise, on there before.

xwesx

I feel like they're going back to their roots on that one! Not a bad thing, just maybe not what most folks are actively seeking.

explorerx4

Saw this while in Virginia near Buccee's.

fintail

Too lazy to get it off the dashcam (and overwritten by now anyway I suspect), around Tacoma yesterday saw an 80s Monte Carlo donk convertible on I5 - not sure what kind of driving experience that would be. Also saw a RHD old Mini on I90, driver was holding a phone and talking, at least in the right lane.

stickguy

not particularly old, not special, but getting obscure I guess. House up the road from me has a pair of Chrysler 200s side by side in the driveway. Look the same other than the color (a dark red and a black). Both are always spotless and look brand new.

not sure what is odder. Seeing a 200 in that condition, or a couple having 2 of them!

andre1969

Are those 200s the older version, which is sort of a restyled Sebring (the one that also offered a convertible), or the newer style, that's kind of a longer Dodge Dart? I can't remember the last time I saw either.

ab348

The only 200 I recall was the unfortunately-styled version that, in fixed-roof form, looked like a turtle on wheels.

stickguy

The latest style

texases

Gen 1:

Gen 2:

explorerx4

A new vs old car meetup.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/kia-sedan-meets-classic-chrysler-in-rowdy-rear-end-collision/ar-AA1IT5vi?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=508849b2f5044177df7a465da7d3b1d5&ei=20

uplanderguy

Don’t know if the last 200 had this, but one small interior detail I liked in 2000’s Chryslers was the analog clock on the dash that was the size and look of a watch face. Chrome bezel. Clearly not a purchase reason, but looked a bit upscale.

xwesx

uplanderguy said:

Don’t know if the last 200 had this, but one small interior detail I liked in 2000’s Chryslers was the analog clock on the dash that was the size and look of a watch face. Chrome bezel. Clearly not a purchase reason, but looked a bit upscale.

My 2013 VW Passat had one of those. I really did like that feature!

tjc78

Both my Enclaves too. It was a nice touch.

kyfdx

My wife’s Porsche has the same thing

texases

Ooooo, the "Sport Chrono" option...

kyfdx

texases said:

Ooooo, the "Sport Chrono" option...

Nah.. the same clock is standard on a base Macan.

It's wild what you get with the Sport Chrono on other models, though.

uplanderguy

Even our daughter's base-trim-level PT Cruiser had it.

uplanderguy

I remember we had a conversation along these lines about the Bonneville G, which I presume would apply to the Grand Prix, as well.

I seem to remember a chat about the FWD intermediate cars being available with "the 4.3 V6", but that would've been the Diesel.

roadburner

uplanderguy said:

Don’t know if the last 200 had this, but one small interior detail I liked in 2000’s Chryslers was the analog clock on the dash that was the size and look of a watch face. Chrome bezel. Clearly not a purchase reason, but looked a bit upscale.

My C43 has that feature as well; I like it more than I thought I would.

fintail

roadburner said:

uplanderguy said:

Don’t know if the last 200 had this, but one small interior detail I liked in 2000’s Chryslers was the analog clock on the dash that was the size and look of a watch face. Chrome bezel. Clearly not a purchase reason, but looked a bit upscale.

My C43 has that feature as well; I like it more than I thought I would.

My wagon has the same clock, and I have the IWC watch with the same numeric typeface.

uplanderguy

RE.: That '71 3-speed LeSabre:

I see it was built the third week of May.

All I can find online is that the Turbo-Hydramatic was made standard "in the spring".

That car's gotta be one of the dead last with 3-speed. I can imagine they were building them out.

texases

Two bids on that Buick so far, now at $1250. Be the only one on your block/city/state!

uplanderguy

I'm looking at comments on the car's site. Someone asked if it's been reupholstered and the seller said no. There's no 'eye roll' emoji here, sigh.

stickguy

super nice weather this weekend so lots of cars out. a nice 1st gen Honda S2000. 1970 ice blue Cutlass convertible and a later MB year of the classic (from the 70s) 380SL. Creme over beige. Top down on both. and an early 60s or so Ford panel delivery hot rodded. Smelled like it was running quite rich but had a nice rumble.

ab348

uplanderguy said:

I'm looking at comments on the car's site. Someone asked if it's been reupholstered and the seller said no. There's no 'eye roll' emoji here, sigh.

I thought the description on the BaT site said that it was reupholstered at some point?

uplanderguy

I commented on it when I posted the link here—no velour in a ‘71 base LeSabre. But the seller is apparently not aware.

roadburner

Saw a very nice 1969 GTX hardtop. Sounded nice as well.

gsemike

Spotted this Typhoon. Looks well worn

texases

Bids up to $1735 on that Buick with 4 hrs left, 5 different bidders, that’s surprising to me.

sda

@gsemike said:

Spotted this Typhoon. Looks well worn

Looks straight. If not rusty underneath, a respray would do wonders.

uplanderguy

Spotted a week ago in Joe's Restaurant's lot in Rocky River, OH--very clean and original bright red '72 Pontiac Catalina convertible, Rally II wheels, clean correct-width whitewalls, white interior, top down.

Spotted Friday near my house, en route to where "Shawshank Redemption" was filmed in Mansfield, passed what I think was a '78 Dodge Magnum, white, T-tops, clean, quiet, sat nicely at all four corners, Cragar wheels. A couple miles beyond that I passed a '66 or '67 Falcon two-door sedan, plain-Jane trim level. I like the styling of those Falcons, with the full-cutout rear wheel opening and sorta-notched quarter windows that remind of me full-size '77-79 Chevys.

I've read that in those years, the Falcon and Fairlane wagons were the same wheelbase; only in front of the windshield was different. Makes one wonder why they would've bothered to make both.

uplanderguy

Spotted where I met a friend for breakfast this morning:

For perspective on age, this thing was sitting in somebody's driveway when Pearl Harbor was attacked, FDR was president, and Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Mrs. William McKinley, and Mrs. Grover Cleveland were all still alive!

stickguy

looks like something Ike would have had as a staff car too.

texases

Yeah, but I would put the black walls facing out.

texases

Now the bid on that 1971 Buick is $1971.

uplanderguy

Yeah, the white letters look ridiculous on a '41 car.

uplanderguy

Yeesh, that LeSabre sold for $8,559!

ab348

Maybe it isn’t just Canadian dollars that are worthless!

explorerx4

@uplanderguy,
Have you ever eaten at Beardon's in RR? It's kind of a classic restaurant there known for steakburgers and milkshakes.