I think the 58 Edsel is the most Edsel-like too...much bolder front end. I think as they go, it is the most desireable year. Does anyone know how many 1960 models are actually still left, especially the rare ones like wagons, convertibles, and hardtops?
Best Maserati...that's tough, as the past 20 years have been horrible save for the last couple. Maybe the old 3500 series from the 60s. Always had nice Ferrari-esque bodies anyway.
Tere's a Volvo 444 (?) 'duett' wagon in my area. I see it all the time when the weather is nice. It's pretty cool. It is obviously restored, and is much like this one except it is red and creme.
Best Volvo? I dunno...depends what "best" means to you I guess. Volvos are barely on my radar screen these days, it's not a car that generally interest me enough to become totally knowledgable about them. My "favorite" Volvo is the 544 sport and the one that I think was the best made was the 123 GT. The P1800, 140s, 240, 7 series I don't like at all, and from then on I kinda lost interest.
I spotted my first "live" MAYBACH totally, sitting in the snow in Aspen. Driver let me sit in the back seat, which was strange, but...this was a two-tone black and gold. Big old thing, nicely appointed but styling and interior does not look the price (to me). I felt like I was about to be driven to a funeral.
...the scarcest 1958 Edsel is the 9-passenger Bermuda station wagon. Edsel also had more variations in 1958 - they had the Mercury-based Citation and Corsair and the Ford-based Pacer and Ranger. By 1959 it was cut down to just the Corsair and Ranger. 1960 featured only the Ranger series.
I have yet to see a Maybach. I dunno if I want to see one, really. I am afraid the hype won't match up. Can the 62 really be nicer than 3 S600s? I can't imagine. I also don't like the Daewoo-esque grille.
Its size is impressive--it looks bigger than most cars, and the workmanship is obviously there, but really I don't see 3 or 4 X the price of a Lexus LS430 there.
The series 57 is actually relatively compact. About the wheelbase of a '75 Fleetwood, and the overall length of a '96 Fleetwood (225"). The 62 though, is something like 242" long, which would put it about a foot longer than a Mark V!
They're bulky, upright cars too, over 5 feet tall, with largish greenhouses and smallish hoods and trunks. No doubt that adds to the bulky look.
...the friend of mine who bought a Mercedes A-Class in Germany and shipped it here, fully expecting to get it registered?
He did! Believe it or not, the car now has an US title, correct registration, and even insurance. The agent simply based his insurance premium on the customs value. Does he even understand how difficult it will be to get parts in case of an accident?
I am still traumatized, not by the car (an A160), but by the fact that our hick-DMV actually came through with their initial statement of just bring the German title, and everything will be OK. Could it be that a used car (it's two years old) is somewhat easier to handle? How'bout crash testing, the Euro crash tests are vastly different. Emissions?? Don't understand.
Drove a '94 BMW 530i today. Nice drive; it was a 5 speed. It wasn't as quick as I expected it to be, I guess. Shifty, et al., I seem to remember there being engine issue with the 530i. Something to do with the block? Could you enlighten me? Anyway, this one had 123,000 miles and the guy is looking to offload it cheap. Clutch engagement and steering were a bit heavier than my 740's. Rationality says, of course, keep the Volvo. Still, it was fun.
tarik--sorry to rain on his parade, but even if the DMV registers the car, the Feds can still impound it. This happens now and then. Federal law supercedes state agencies when it comes to importing cars in the US that should not be here and/or determining their legal status. (I don't know what the legal status of this car is myself).
He should consult an import specialist immediately to see what his legal status is. If illegal, he could lose everything. Sooner or later they will find him.
LANCE--if that's the V-8, then the issue was porous cylinder walls. I don't recall whether the fix was a new block or liners but you should definitely a)check out the history of the car and b) chat with a BMW specialist about this. It's a serious issue and the expense wipes out the car basically.
My dad and I have the opportunity to try out an '88 Ford F-150 with the 300 inline-six; the guy wants to sell it real cheap, as it'll only serve as a winter beater for us.
Any issues with the 300 that we should know about? (And the F-150 was the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. by the late '80s)
F-150: used to own this very truck so I can comment.
HUGE gas hog, but sturdy and tough. Automatic would be better than a stick shift to drive everyday, as the manual gearbox is heavy and clunky. The truck itself feels very wide and is annoying to drive in city traffic and/or park, but if you are in suburbia, and doing only short commutes or hauling, it would be a great beater.
Oh, not good in snow either so weigh 'er down in back and drive carefully. Get some snow tires.
DOT/EPA regs: The government is relentless and very tough on enforcement of illegally imported vehicles. They make the IRS seem like the Sisters of Mercy. A friend had his Ferrari hood PRIED open because they didn't know how to open it to read the VIN numbers at the dock.
That makes sense, as I have always wondered how our SC DMV knew anything about cars that are not officially sold in the US. The fact that they register a car that has no legal status here, tells me another story as to the communication between agencies. Why can I still officially register a car without proof of insurance?
Lots of other problems to fix before impounding the unknown for lack of knowledge...
I saw my first Intrepid police cruiser! It was a black '04 model. The guy who had it let me sit behind the wheel. So beware, speeders, it looks like Maryland, or at least, Anne Arundel county, is starting to use Intrepids! Probably as nasty of a trick as when neighboring Prince George's county started using Grand Prixes a few years back. Fooled a lot of people that were on the lookout for Caprices or Mopar M-bodies (Crown Vic police cars were rare around here, at least until Mopar and Chevy gave up on that market)
It does seem a little steep. I could see it for a 77, which was a little more extreme and older, but an 87 seems (a little) toned down, and was also made postwar...to me, that diminishes it a little. With all the bids it is receiving, that should be a sign.
Possibly $30K, yeah. Demand is SO limited, possibly good for a museum in Germany. Its appeal is totally nationalistic, and it is no coincidence that the auction appears in German.
It's hard to fix a market value for totally oddball stuff like this, so whatever someone pays for this one and the next one in two years, averaged out, IS probably the market value more or less.
I found a 1946 model that sold for $46K in 1996 at auction (that includes buyer's fees, all transportation from Europe, etc., so the profit is probably around $40K), but that was a totally flawless restoration done by Tatra itself at the factory.
Also, who knows if the car is authentically done or not? Who can judge cars like this in terms of how correctly they are done?
It's from the German ebay site. Those things never made it over here in any numbers. I've never seen one in person...but I have heard a rumor there's one laying around not too far from here.
I don't think the paint scheme is correct, if anything. It looks clean though. I think that prewar style is really cool. Especially the 77, like this. Not shabby for 1934.
I like that whole 30s modern streamined design theme...Zephyr, Airflow, Cord, Peugeot 402, and numerous others
Front is ugly and aside from the VW, put every car that every used it into the grave it seems.But "advanced" for the times, most certainly, and deserves credit for that.
I'd heard of a Newport Cordoba, but have never seen any pics of one. I'm surprised that bidding has gotten up over $4K on it though. I mean, it looks to be in good shape, but to most people it's still just a big, generic, old 4-door sedan.
I had a '67 Newport with a 383-2bbl, and about all I'll say is that its performance was adequate. IIRC, that engine was really emasculated for some reason in '67, but had a bit more guts by '70. But then I'm sure that '70 weighs a good deal more than my '67 did.
Yeah, it is a shame about that DeSoto's interior. Here's a glimpse at what a '59 DeSoto Fireflite's interior "should" look like...
This one has the optional swivel seats, though.
And I dunno what that 354 engine came out of. I believe the last Chrysler 354 Hemi was in 1956 (there was a poly 354 in '57-58, tho). Dodge used the 354 in '57 and maybe '58, in their D-500/D-501 option.
Standard engine in the '59 Fireflite would've been a 383-4bbl with something like 325 hp, so that 354 might actually be a step back.
And that Newport actually has a legitimate bidder with feedback and everything. I am very surprised at the price. Not a bad looking old car, but huge old tanks aren't the most sought after models.
My late grandpa had a few Newports back in the day. I think he wanted a big car with a Chrysler name, but he was kind of cheap at times too...so that worked out. His favorite was a 1965 that he bought new and kept for about 5 years (seems that was a long time back then). It was red, 383 I believe. He put quite a few miles on it and took many pics of it. He replaced it with one of the 'fuselage' models like that ebay one...he didn't like that one so much. He then bought one of the last big New Yorkers, like in 77 or 78. That was his last Chrysler, I guess he didn't like where they went after that. He moved on to full size GM cars.
Lancer: As Shifty said, if it's a V8 you should exercise caution. There was a problem with high sulfer in US gas eating the Nikasil blocks. The fix was a new Alusil block. BMW did have a recall program for that, so if the block has been replaced, it's OK. If not...
It's that time of year again. If you're a member of one of the car clubs that own it, between Xmas and New Years you can run all the laps you want for free at our little local track. As I had to be out near there anyway on Saturday, I threw the Hoosiers in the back seat and went to play.
One of the other BMW club guys races an early 60s Mini Cooper in Vintage, and he took me around for a few laps. What a hoot. No power, but no weight either, so he every corner is taken with an eye to minimal speed loss. The line is very different than what I take. Kamikaze, for me, requires heavy braking and a late turn-in. He'd just lift a little, pitch it sideways pretty early, and drift across the apex with his foot full in the throttle, with me looking straight at the tire wall out of my side window.
We also had a vintage race prepped '62 'vette out there. The owner appeared to be terrified of any kind of cornering speed.
And a Volvo p1800, which had so much body roll you could almost see the underside of the oil pan. Can you say "rolling chicane?"
A well sorted and heated up Mini could slap that Vette silly in a tight course. If nothing else, the Vettes brakes will give up, and the car's weight will show in the corners.
Saw a yellow and white Metropolitan crusing the roads today. Too bad my kids weren't in the car. I would have loved to hear their reaction!
Don't miss the newest addition to our live chat events here in Town Hall. Join us every Tuesday from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for our Mazda Mania Chat!
Whether you own a Mazda, would like to own a Mazda, or just like going ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM... be sure to stop by and meet and greet your fellow Town Hall users! (We may even pull out some Mazda triva questions)
Well, it won't be unusual soon enough, but I'm pretty sure I saw a new Ford 500 here in San Diego yesterday.
What is odd is that there don't seem to be any pictures of it around on the web, just drawings.
Now it was an upright, Taurus-sized or slightly bigger car with a blue oval on the grill. Definitely not a Taurus or a Crown Vic. Taillights were shaped like those on the Crown Vic (kind of like a red cheese wedge), but bigger. The front end was kind of like the Infinity M45.
That's my best guess as to what it was. It was going about 15-20 mph the other direction as I waited in a turn lane...
Ford has a design studio up in Irvine. The car was also heading toward Qualcomm Stadium a couple of hours before the Holiday Bowl, so it isn't absurd that one would have been around. The thing that is odd is that the car is supposed to be coming out in 2004, as a 2004, yet there is no mention of it on the Ford website...
I saw a second-gen Corvair 4-door hardtop on the Balt-Washington Parkway, left-lane camping. It was kind of a nasty light green with a roof that was either white or such a pale green that it might as well have been white. Also had radial tires on it, fairly wide ones, with extra-wide ones in the rear.
Looked to be in typical old-car daily driver condition. Not ready for the junkyard yet, and not showing any rust, but no beauty queen either!
Then, about 2 minutes after the Corvair got over, to let a '97-01 Camry pass (I never thought of a Camry as a big car, but it's amazing how it dwarfed that Corvair when passing it!) there was an R-body Chrysler Newport. I'd guess it was a '79, since they made about 77,000 that year, compared to maybe 5 in '80 and two in '81! ;-) Real pale creamy yellowish color. Kinda reminded me of the color of my old '79 Newport, which was called "Cashmere", but this looked a bit lighter. I only saw it from the back, but it looked fairly good for a 23+ year old battlecruiser from the dark ages of automotive history.
Oh yeah, and finally, I saw an old Datsun 240Z, I think. I don't know my old Datsuns that well, so I dunno if it was a 240Z or a 260Z. It had a thin chrome bumper on the rear, though, so I guess it was pre-bumper standards.
I'd get it and not restore it, just use it as is, or do cosmetic work myself and leave the mechanicals alone. Something like that is likely worth like 15-20K with a nice complete restoration...and that work would cost at least twice what the car'd be worth.
But it wouldn't run for long in the state it is in. I mean, just look at it. That'll tell you how well it's been taken care of.
Of course if you got it cheap enough you could just drive it and when it spins a bearing or munches the transmission or something just part it out. This car shares parts with the 300Sc and 300 Cabs, which are worth serious money.
Hey Shifty! Have an opportunity to buy one of these for a fun car - in good shape with 33K original miles on it. Top and timing belt need replacement. Where could I find out pricing info on this?
You could try www.manheimgold.com. They are pretty accurate.
Timing belt is kind of a nasty job on that car, you might want to get an estimate for that. The top will also be a bit pricey.....sooooooo....really we are looking at $1,500+ worth of work on a car that might be worth $4,000 if it were mint.
They can be really fun cars and quite reliable if you get one that is "squared away" beforehand. If you see any taped wires dangling here and there and filthy engine or rust or other obvious signs of neglect, just walk away and look for a better one.
Salvage and running every day are two different things. An old crusty car like that, the minute you put a wrench on something, it either breaks or strips.
Hard to say without being there, that's true. Let's just say it's a model of Mercedes about which I am personally not optimistic as a rule. And this one has all the earmarks of terrible neglect---stuck in a barn somewhere no doubt.
Comments
Best Maserati...that's tough, as the past 20 years have been horrible save for the last couple. Maybe the old 3500 series from the 60s. Always had nice Ferrari-esque bodies anyway.
Tere's a Volvo 444 (?) 'duett' wagon in my area. I see it all the time when the weather is nice. It's pretty cool. It is obviously restored, and is much like this one except it is red and creme.
I spotted my first "live" MAYBACH totally, sitting in the snow in Aspen. Driver let me sit in the back seat, which was strange, but...this was a two-tone black and gold. Big old thing, nicely appointed but styling and interior does not look the price (to me). I felt like I was about to be driven to a funeral.
They're bulky, upright cars too, over 5 feet tall, with largish greenhouses and smallish hoods and trunks. No doubt that adds to the bulky look.
He did! Believe it or not, the car now has an US title, correct registration, and even insurance. The agent simply based his insurance premium on the customs value. Does he even understand how difficult it will be to get parts in case of an accident?
I am still traumatized, not by the car (an A160), but by the fact that our hick-DMV actually came through with their initial statement of just bring the German title, and everything will be OK. Could it be that a used car (it's two years old) is somewhat easier to handle? How'bout crash testing, the Euro crash tests are vastly different. Emissions?? Don't understand.
Maybe I should get one, too... *g*
He should consult an import specialist immediately to see what his legal status is. If illegal, he could lose everything. Sooner or later they will find him.
LANCE--if that's the V-8, then the issue was porous cylinder walls. I don't recall whether the fix was a new block or liners but you should definitely a)check out the history of the car and b) chat with a BMW specialist about this. It's a serious issue and the expense wipes out the car basically.
Any issues with the 300 that we should know about? (And the F-150 was the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. by the late '80s)
HUGE gas hog, but sturdy and tough. Automatic would be better than a stick shift to drive everyday, as the manual gearbox is heavy and clunky. The truck itself feels very wide and is annoying to drive in city traffic and/or park, but if you are in suburbia, and doing only short commutes or hauling, it would be a great beater.
Oh, not good in snow either so weigh 'er down in back and drive carefully. Get some snow tires.
DOT/EPA regs: The government is relentless and very tough on enforcement of illegally imported vehicles. They make the IRS seem like the Sisters of Mercy. A friend had his Ferrari hood PRIED open because they didn't know how to open it to read the VIN numbers at the dock.
Lots of other problems to fix before impounding the unknown for lack of knowledge...
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9897&am- p;am- p;item=2450161191
Fintail hearse...you'll be up there with the Universal in rarity
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2450358553&- amp;category=18303
I'm sure it's worth a good 30 grand though.
It's hard to fix a market value for totally oddball stuff like this, so whatever someone pays for this one and the next one in two years, averaged out, IS probably the market value more or less.
I found a 1946 model that sold for $46K in 1996 at auction (that includes buyer's fees, all transportation from Europe, etc., so the profit is probably around $40K), but that was a totally flawless restoration done by Tatra itself at the factory.
Also, who knows if the car is authentically done or not? Who can judge cars like this in terms of how correctly they are done?
I don't think the paint scheme is correct, if anything. It looks clean though. I think that prewar style is really cool. Especially the 77, like this. Not shabby for 1934.
I like that whole 30s modern streamined design theme...Zephyr, Airflow, Cord, Peugeot 402, and numerous others
But you are right, save for the VW, that style never made it...the domestic models that wore it died off, and the Euros did just the same.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2450762094&category=43906
Beautiful DeSoto, shame about the interior
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2450714078&category=6190
I remember trying to talk my Dad into a Dodge or DeSoto that year (we got a Mercury, sadly).
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I had a '67 Newport with a 383-2bbl, and about all I'll say is that its performance was adequate. IIRC, that engine was really emasculated for some reason in '67, but had a bit more guts by '70. But then I'm sure that '70 weighs a good deal more than my '67 did.
Yeah, it is a shame about that DeSoto's interior. Here's a glimpse at what a '59 DeSoto Fireflite's interior "should" look like...
This one has the optional swivel seats, though.
And I dunno what that 354 engine came out of. I believe the last Chrysler 354 Hemi was in 1956 (there was a poly 354 in '57-58, tho). Dodge used the 354 in '57 and maybe '58, in their D-500/D-501 option.
Standard engine in the '59 Fireflite would've been a 383-4bbl with something like 325 hp, so that 354 might actually be a step back.
My late grandpa had a few Newports back in the day. I think he wanted a big car with a Chrysler name, but he was kind of cheap at times too...so that worked out. His favorite was a 1965 that he bought new and kept for about 5 years (seems that was a long time back then). It was red, 383 I believe. He put quite a few miles on it and took many pics of it. He replaced it with one of the 'fuselage' models like that ebay one...he didn't like that one so much. He then bought one of the last big New Yorkers, like in 77 or 78. That was his last Chrysler, I guess he didn't like where they went after that. He moved on to full size GM cars.
It's that time of year again. If you're a member of one of the car clubs that own it, between Xmas and New Years you can run all the laps you want for free at our little local track. As I had to be out near there anyway on Saturday, I threw the Hoosiers in the back seat and went to play.
One of the other BMW club guys races an early 60s Mini Cooper in Vintage, and he took me around for a few laps. What a hoot. No power, but no weight either, so he every corner is taken with an eye to minimal speed loss. The line is very different than what I take. Kamikaze, for me, requires heavy braking and a late turn-in. He'd just lift a little, pitch it sideways pretty early, and drift across the apex with his foot full in the throttle, with me looking straight at the tire wall out of my side window.
We also had a vintage race prepped '62 'vette out there. The owner appeared to be terrified of any kind of cornering speed.
And a Volvo p1800, which had so much body roll you could almost see the underside of the oil pan. Can you say "rolling chicane?"
Don't miss the newest addition to our live chat events here in Town Hall. Join us every Tuesday from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for our Mazda Mania Chat!
Whether you own a Mazda, would like to own a Mazda, or just like going ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM... be sure to stop by and meet and greet your fellow Town Hall users! (We may even pull out some Mazda triva questions)
/direct/view/.ef1b553
PF Flyer
Host
Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
What is odd is that there don't seem to be any pictures of it around on the web, just drawings.
Now it was an upright, Taurus-sized or slightly bigger car with a blue oval on the grill. Definitely not a Taurus or a Crown Vic. Taillights were shaped like those on the Crown Vic (kind of like a red cheese wedge), but bigger. The front end was kind of like the Infinity M45.
That's my best guess as to what it was. It was going about 15-20 mph the other direction as I waited in a turn lane...
Ford has a design studio up in Irvine. The car was also heading toward Qualcomm Stadium a couple of hours before the Holiday Bowl, so it isn't absurd that one would have been around. The thing that is odd is that the car is supposed to be coming out in 2004, as a 2004, yet there is no mention of it on the Ford website...
Looked to be in typical old-car daily driver condition. Not ready for the junkyard yet, and not showing any rust, but no beauty queen either!
Then, about 2 minutes after the Corvair got over, to let a '97-01 Camry pass (I never thought of a Camry as a big car, but it's amazing how it dwarfed that Corvair when passing it!) there was an R-body Chrysler Newport. I'd guess it was a '79, since they made about 77,000 that year, compared to maybe 5 in '80 and two in '81! ;-) Real pale creamy yellowish color. Kinda reminded me of the color of my old '79 Newport, which was called "Cashmere", but this looked a bit lighter. I only saw it from the back, but it looked fairly good for a 23+ year old battlecruiser from the dark ages of automotive history.
Oh yeah, and finally, I saw an old Datsun 240Z, I think. I don't know my old Datsuns that well, so I dunno if it was a 240Z or a 260Z. It had a thin chrome bumper on the rear, though, so I guess it was pre-bumper standards.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2451518116&category=6330
Behold--the ultimate Money Pit....and rusty, too!
Of course if you got it cheap enough you could just drive it and when it spins a bearing or munches the transmission or something just part it out. This car shares parts with the 300Sc and 300 Cabs, which are worth serious money.
But if it is bad, yes, parting out would be the only way to go...maybe it would save another car.
Thx
HG
Timing belt is kind of a nasty job on that car, you might want to get an estimate for that. The top will also be a bit pricey.....sooooooo....really we are looking at $1,500+ worth of work on a car that might be worth $4,000 if it were mint.
They can be really fun cars and quite reliable if you get one that is "squared away" beforehand. If you see any taped wires dangling here and there and filthy engine or rust or other obvious signs of neglect, just walk away and look for a better one.
I scavenged some fintail parts cars over the summer that were 100x rustier than that Adenauer. It doesn't look that bad
I'd rather focus my time to something I want...like that elusive 112 LWB fintail with sunroof