They always referred to that car as a Dodge, but every time I ever remember seeing it, I think it was a Duster. I remember seeing several different Dusters too, like maybe they just went and borrowed one from somebody every time they needed to actually show the car. I do remember one of them being a Gold Duster.
There was an episode where Al went shopping for a new car. I think he sold his "Dodge" for something like 50 bucks and tried to go get a new Mustang, but Peggy had spent all the money he had stashed away. So the they cut to a scene in the garage, which is open. You hear the radio playing "Welcome back, bay-bee...to the poor side of town" Then you see some loser AMC product, like a Pacer, Hornet, or Gremlin, slowly nosing itself into the garage. Then, we see that Al is actually pushing it!
Peg makes him go out and get another car, and the next scene, he's pushing some other AMC product in the door.
Finally, you hear the radio playing "I'm walking, yes indeed I'm talkin'..." and see another Duster (I think this one was blue) nosing its way in. We're expecting to see Al pushing this one too, but he's driving it, with a big smile on his face, and the audience is cheering.
One of my favorite lines from that show was Peggy saying something like "When your Dodge, with a book value of, maybe 50 bucks, cut through that $100,000 Mercedes like a hot knife through butter, it made me PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!"
I looked again, it definitely has dual pipes. I wonder why it doesn't have the CID #s on the hood scoops, IIRC that's where they put 'em on Mopars of the late 60s/early 70s.
...Al was first pushing a Hornet and then a Pacer. He got a Gremlin and told Peggy, "This one's so light I could almost pull it!" Poor AMC! It gets no respect!
LOL at the Al Bundy stuff...I don't get the channel the reruns of that show still air on, and that's a shame. I also remember in an early episode, Al had his "Dodge", and Peggy had a Pinto.
Speaking of the 57 Buick I mentioned, I just remembered a slightly similar car I saw years ago. This would have been around 1995, as the fintail was still pretty new to me, and it was the summer I was out of high school. I went to a yard sale, where I spotted something big and old with wide whites under a big sheet. I had to ask about it, and the car was a '58 Olds 98 4 door hardtop with something like 30K on it...and it looked it, it was pretty nice. The guy said he wanted like 10 grand for it, which at the time made me scoff, but now that might be about what it would be worth in that condition.
that's the second generation of military Jeeps, which retained the two-pane windsheild but had bigger, more rounded front fenders. This one was done up in full Army OD with white stars and lettering looking much as it would have during the Korean War era. Spotted yesterday in a parking lot with no top.
Across the street from each other this afternoon: 2005 bright red Dodge Magnum R/T Hemi and a 1970 red Pontiac GTO convertible in mint condition. The Dodge was parked at a dealership, while the GTO belonged to someone traveling through the area. I haven't seen it in my neighborhood before. Wish I could have chosen between the two.
I actually saw a running Alfa Romeo 2000 Berlina for the first time ever. This one appeared to be a '73 or '74, and it appeared to be pretty-ratty looking (as most early '70s Alfas were). The car was emitting quite a bit of smoke as it was driving along.
And Mr. Shiftright, why on earth do these Berlinas look like shoeboxes?
Scoff if you will, but you'll never have more fun with a shoebox.
I never met an Italian car, be it ugly or pathetically unreliable, that wasn't fun to drive. So I forgive them everything else.
Eckually, the Berlina isn't a bad little car. Same driveline as the Spiders. Like most 70s Alfas, they fell prey to ignorant mechanics, neglect and spotty parts and service.
Most Americans have never even experienced an Alfa Romeo that has been "made right". They only drive the clapped out survivors.
or was it called a Bobcat if it was a Merc. Seen in a yard, did not appear to be in running condition.
I happen to like the Alfa Berlinas. They're boxy as hell but there's something racy about them, perhaps it's because they were making sport sedans before anyone. The Alfa 1900TI was on the streets a decade before the BMW 1600/2002.
on the WB&A (Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis) trail, from my house to the county line, and spotted a few vehicles of interest along the way.
The branch of the railroad line went defunct in 1935, but the right-of-way remained intact, used by the electric company, natural gas company, access to some private residences, and now a hiker/biker trail.
Well, first I saw a '66 Bel Air 4-door sedan, kind of a beige color. rust coming back through the bondo on the quarter panels. Behind it was an 80's looking car under a cover, and then behind that, a '74 Caprice convertible, very faded maroon. I don't think it's moved in a few years.
A little further up, I saw a '73 Dodge Charger, 318-2bbl, power front disk brakes, copcar rims. Had an ancient sign in the windsheild that said $300.00. This is the kind of car that, cleaned up and taken to Carlisle, some idiot would put a $3-4,000 price tag on it! So it was nice to see a car priced about what it was worth!
It was parked next to a '63 or so Chevy II 4-door sedan, that was probably restorable if you REALLY wanted to, but it wouldn't be worth the effort. It didn't have a sign in it, though.
At a horse farm, I saw a '68 or so Suburban, off in the distance, with weeds growing up around it.
There are about 5 or 6 places where this trail crosses over a creek. At one of them, I looked down, and saw what appeared to be a '63 or '65 full-sized Pontiac down there in the creek! It was hard to tell though, from looking straight down at it. The roof was gone, and from the dashboard back the car was buried under the water, so only the front-end clip was sticking out. The front fenders had a forward thrust to them like a '63 or '65 Pontiac, whereas the '64 and '66 were more straight-up. It also had a crease running across the top of each fender. No hood, either, and the engine bay was filled up with rocks and soot. It's amazing the places cars end up!
Finally, I saw something I couldn't identify near a rifle range. It was parked in a driveway that said "Private Property: No Trespassing", so I didn't go up too close to get a look. I could only see it from the rear, but it looked to be around maybe 190-200 inches long. Looked kinda like those 70's Rolls Royces from the rear, mainly in the rear fenders and taillights, and the way the car sloped off in general. But the roofline made me think of some Eastern Bloc 4-door sedan. Upright and fairly airy, but something that might have been originated in the 60's and still be in production today! The front fenders of the car appeared to slope off, giving it a bit of a wedge shape up front. Any guesses on what that one might've been?
Here's one for you: I was at my friend's house earlier this afternoon visiting him, because I hadn't seen him in a while. I actually saw him sell his fully restored '70 'Cuda 440-6 to a guy for $52k! I thought to myself, wow! A Mopar selling for $50k+!
Now, you have to keep in mind that this is a show car that has won numerous trophies, especially at the Mopar Nationals in Carlisle and in Indiana. This is a pretty rare specimen of a 'Cuda: While having the 440 6-bbl engine with the 727 Torqueflite, it is a rare triple red. What makes it more unusual is the fact that it came with a factory delete radio option, and the shifter is on the column. The car was featured in the Dec. 1995 issue of Mopar Monthly.
Today I saw a hideous fake MB "Gazelle" replica, a really nice looking W114 250, which I think was only made for a couple years, and a 63 Pontiac wagon that didn't look bad.
DAF -- unfortunately, it looks too much like a Fiat 850 coupe, doesn't it?
Citroen CX---there was some firm in California importing them for a while as I recall. A doomed enterprise to say the least.
Old Renault--you are right, the car looks all wrong in more ways than one. What's with the cheesy upholstery? This car needs to go to France to be sold.
Allard--my god, those cars are still ugly. Time for an assisted suicide. Here are the words of warning right there in the ad: "Wood body framing is rotted in the cowl". This is a Venus Fly Trap for the unwise and unknowing. Poor guy (I hesitate to use the word "winner") is already in $5,000 + shipping, and you can buy a totally magnificently restored one in the UK for $20,000 US. He's dead and buried in this one at least to $40K. Foolish purchase.
Citroen Wagon--- I dunno, they just don't have the romance of the old ones.
Airflow -- seems an honest enough car. They are actually very pleasant to drive compared to most 30s heavy iron. What's with the $900 radiator? Looks pretty beat up for that kind of money. And the top of the dash is kinda scary. Still, you'll get a lot of attention for not much money, and it's a car that you can actually drive.
Merkur -- it's kind of amazing how little people care about these cars. This vehicle is really mint and it is struggling to reach $3,000. Actually an automatic is probably better, as the manual shifter in this car is a sorry affair.
I saw a Merkur of the same vintage yesterday in a parking lot in Herndon Va. Dark blue, and had the single low spoiler (as opposed to the early dual wings).
Notice the crappy gas mileage (18/21) for a 4 cylinder, even witha 3 speed auto.
we had the nicest weather today in New Hampshire so I took a ride down to the Italian Car show in Milford. The show, presented by the Alfa Owners club of New England featured loads of beautiful Alfas with plenty of Spiders and pair of Bertone GTVs as well as the rare Alfa Montreal. There were plenty of exotics especially Ferraris including Tsaupe's 328 GTS (he's a regular poster in the Ferrari topic). See that topic for my reaction to a ride in his Nero metallico Ferrari V8.
Also present were a 550 Maranello, several Testarossas, a 360 Spider, a 456M and a 330GTC to name a few. I also ogled a Lamborghini Diablo Spider.
Alas there were no Maseratis and few Fiats, tho there was a very nicely turned out and semi-rare Fiat Dino Spider.
I took the long way home and spotted a number of cool old cars enjoying the nice weather on two-lane blacktop. One was a '65 Dodge Power Wagon pickup that had evidently been completely restored and painted Forest Green. It's the nicest PW I've ever seen.
Aside from that every 60s Mustang ever made seemed to be out. All in all a great day.
I know some 86+ Citroens were grey marketed over here, but I've never seen one as old as that NY car. Can't be a practical proposition.
The airflow is different shades from front to back. That would drive me nuts. I've told my dad he should be able to find a decent one for 15 grand. He might do it soon, he hasn't really had a vintage car since the Country Sedan that he so enjoyed.
Someone close to my family had an 85 Tempo they got to 190K before they replaced it. It never had a mechanical failure (engine transmission etc), but it nickled and dimed them a lot, especially in electronics. It only stranded them once in 14 years though, that's remarkable.
That original looking Pierce Arrow brought only $11.9K, the auction just ended. I think that's a pretty fair deal.
Today I saw a Model A (not rodded) on I-5, in the slow lane, but it was moving along.
...an "original" Mini Cooper in green with a white roof. The new Mini may be small, but the original is tiny - almost like a go-kart with an enclosed body
...there was this eccentric man who drove around my old neighborhood in a very beat-up green Model A roadster. I wonder if this car still exists or if anybody restored it.
Oh I'm sure. Model As are never thrown away anymore unless they are totally hopeless. There is a tremendous aftermarket of affordable parts. You can buy anything you want for a Model A, and there are still supposed to be about a million of them on the road out there.
Their value stagnated for many years but it starting once again to creep up. You can buy a runner for $3,500 and a pretty nice one for $8K or so. Just don't plan to go over 50 mph and don't ever plan to stop.
There is a nice looking A woody for sale on my commute route. Saw a nice mid 60's Impala SS 396 Convert. the other day. White. Early Olds 442. C2 'Vette convert. A Miata with visible rust! Never saw that before.
yesterday I went to CarMax with a buddy of mine, who ended up swapping his hi-mileage '95 Grand Marquis for an '04 Crown Vic LX. Well, looking around on the lot, there was an '01 Jeep Cherokee that had just a touch of rust on one of the door window frames. It didn't look like a stone chip either...appeared to be coming from behind the paint!
Also saw a Kia Sorrento (forget the year) that had just a touch of rust poking through at some sloppy welds, where it looked like the paint cracked.
Saw a late 90's Bonneville with big rust holes in the rocker panels. You could easily pass golf balls through them, must have missed part of the paint process ("well they need them at plant 6 now buster!").
Andre, you'd know this better than I do: How come the Challengers and 'Cudas of the early '70s were more prone to rusting than, say, Camaros or Mustangs?
I'm not sure that a 70's Barracuda or Challenger WAS more prone to rusting than a Camaro or Mustang of that era!
In 1970, the Barracuda and Challenger were actually based on heavier, beefier intermediate components, whereas ponycars were traditionally based on compacts like the Chevy II/Nova (Camaro), Falcon (Mustang, I think the Mustang II was based on the Pinto!), or Dart/Valiant (1st and 2nd gen Barracuda).
Now by the early 70's, Chrysler was getting a bit sloppier putting their cars together than they had in the past, but so was everybody else. In that timeframe, it seems like the best-build cars were those actually designed in the 60's, and when they DID finally get re-done for the 70's, quality went downhill.
I think maybe some Mopars might have started rusting a bit quicker than a Ford or GM equivalent, because they'd get sloppy with rustproofing, or scrape some body parts down to the bare metal in assembly. So after maybe 2-3 years, a Mopar might start to show its age before its Ford or GM counterpart. But then, once those Ford and GM cars started rusting, they'd catch up quickly!
with a different body and an optional V8, IIRC. Think of it as more of a Ford Karman Ghia than a true Mustang (notwithstanding the Ponycar's origin on a Falcon platform).
Andre, my ideal Mopar has always been a '70 'Cuda with the 440 6-bbl and 727 TorqueFlite. However, when I see them on the market, which is hardly ever, they are always priced extremely high!
my neighbor was selling a 1970 Barracuda hardtop, but it was just a 318-2bbl. Way back then he wanted $4000 for it, which I thought was too much. It seemed to be in great shape though. It was green though, with a green interior. Not the prettiest shade of green, either!
I think the Challenger/Barracuda are one of those cars that goes against the rule of "if it was popular when it was new, it's popular and pricey now". Well, these things WEREN'T popular when they were new! They sold tolerably for the first year, but then sales tapered off quickly. They were just too late to the market. Too big and heavy, and dated styling that looked more like a late 60's Camaro/Firebird than a 70's car. Most testers of the time thought that a 340 or 360 Duster/Demon was a far better choice of car.
But today it seems like those loser Mopars are worth a small fortune! Are there any '71-73 Mustangs that are really worth very much? And I know some of the high-output Camaros and Trans Ams are, but I don't think they're still in the same league as a Hemi or 440 Cuda/Challenger.
Andre, just to give you an idea, my friend and neighbor sold his '70 'Cuda on Saturday for $52k! I was right there when he sold it and I remember this car from the time he fully restored it up until now. Being a stickler for originality, every single part is straight from the factory.
It was based off the Pinto, but could be had with four, six, or 302V8.
The Cobra II was basically an appearance package and could be had with any of the engines starting in '76, but usually had the 302. That is what Farrah drove in Charlie's Angels.
I had a '77 Cobra II.. My first new car. A real piece of crap, but lots of torque out of the 302. I could out pull a 305 Camaro from that era through second gear, but the lack of deep breathing (2-barrel) and low horsepower (135) would doom you after that..
I knew a guy when I lived in California that had 2 Mustang II's. One was white with a red stripe, the other, white with a blue stripe. Both, I believe, had V8's in them.
IIRC, the blue striped car was smogged and strangulated, while the red stripe had a free flow exhaust and minimal (if any) smog equipment. Of course, he took the blue striped car to get the emissions checked each year, but the registration and license went on the red striped beast. Pretty sneaky, if you ask me!
They came with blue, red or green stripe.. In '76 they had the blue car with the white stripe, and later the black w/the gold stripe.. All crap.. I sold mine with 48K miles on it to a BHPH lot.. Two clutches gone, plus third one almost gone, bad power steering pump, and on, and on........
But, I did look at a '76 Plymouth Arrow about the same time as the Cobra II and I'm sure I would have noted if it had a longer warranty.. 5/50 was still in force in the early '70s, as I had family members buying cars then.. I specifically remember my stepbrother's '71 Grand Prix had the 5/50 warranty.. I think somewhere around '74-'76 they dropped back to 12/12 warranties... My '82 Accord also had a 12/12 warranty, not that it mattered.. I wouldn't have had a claim if they had 5/50.. Now, that was a reliable car. I didn't buy another "new car" until '90, so I'm not sure when they went back to 3/36.. It seems like my aunt had an '85 Lincoln that was 3/36.
...a guy a couple of blocks away has a triple ORANGE!! Mustang II hatchback with t-tops and a vinyl 'halo' partial top, and I think a V8. Also has the original mag wheels. Quite bold looking, if not exactly tasteful.
This same owner also has an '80s base SAAB 900 hatch and a BMW 320i....he must have a thing for virtually worthless, slow, old cars.
That would be the "styled steel wheels" on the Mustang II. 195/60-13 if I remember correctly.
The poor 320i.. It gets ragged on, but it still had a great engine... You could cruise at high speed all day. People go nuts for 2002s, but the 320i was a better car (as any later model should be). I really liked it..
regards, kyfdx
EDIT: The one with the landau vinyl roof.. That might have been the "Ghia" model.. That was the coupe, as opposed to the hatchback.
I volunteer at the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Musuem in Hershey on some weekends. Through September the museum is featuring a display of Mustangs through the years. One of the display cars is a 1977 Mustang II hatchback. The gap between the front of the hood and the grille panel is so big it has to be seen to be believed. The late 1970s were not a good time for Ford...or anyone else.
At the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals there were three Fox-bodied Mustangs on display - a 1979 Pace Car, a 1986 GT and a 1993 Cobra. All were in original condition, and the 1979 and 1993 models had less than 1,000 miles on the odometer. The improvement in panel fit and paint quality from 1979 to 1986 (and 1993) was so dramatic it was hard to believe that the cars were made by the same company.
Hey Grbeck: What did you make of the build quality of the GM F-bodies during the '80s? (i.e. 3rd-gen Camaro/Firebird) I thought they were a great improvement over their '70s-era predecessors, but still no great shakes compared to the foreign cars.
how terrible the cars were in the mid to late '70s. I think between the safety, pollution and fuel crisis issues, perhaps the focus on quality and performance was lost. But, it really opened up the door for the imports. Cars like the Pinto, Vega and Mustang II is what cemented Toyota and Honda's success for years to come.
One year/12K mile warranties.. They were practically telling you their cars were garbage.
Speaking of Alfas, I saw a 156 going down Central in Dallas weekend before last. I couldn't believe my eyes. BEAUTIFUL!!!
Another was Peugeot 206 driving around the hood. It was smaller than a Golf but looked much cooler. It was a 5 dr hatch base model. It was the ugliest shade of blue I'd ever seen.
Also saw a Renault Clio. Not the cool Grand Turismo model, but a silver 5dr. Nice.
The 206 & Clio had Mexican plates but the 156 had TX plates on it.
Renault was the one to watch. At least, that's what their commercials said! ;-) I think Renault was a leader in low-interest financing, too. I remember back in the 80's seeing a big, imposing, silver Zero looming on the screen, bragging about their 0% financing.
I remember one year my grandmother's brother and sister-in-law came to visit, and they got an Alliance for a rental.
IIRC, the Alliance came as a 2-door, 4-door, and convertible, and the Encore was the 3- and 5-door hatchback. In the late 80's there was a high-output Alliance called the GT-A, which I think came out around the same time Pontiac was using that for a version of the Firebird/Trans Am.
Comments
There was an episode where Al went shopping for a new car. I think he sold his "Dodge" for something like 50 bucks and tried to go get a new Mustang, but Peggy had spent all the money he had stashed away. So the they cut to a scene in the garage, which is open. You hear the radio playing "Welcome back, bay-bee...to the poor side of town" Then you see some loser AMC product, like a Pacer, Hornet, or Gremlin, slowly nosing itself into the garage. Then, we see that Al is actually pushing it!
Peg makes him go out and get another car, and the next scene, he's pushing some other AMC product in the door.
Finally, you hear the radio playing "I'm walking, yes indeed I'm talkin'..." and see another Duster (I think this one was blue) nosing its way in. We're expecting to see Al pushing this one too, but he's driving it, with a big smile on his face, and the audience is cheering.
One of my favorite lines from that show was Peggy saying something like "When your Dodge, with a book value of, maybe 50 bucks, cut through that $100,000 Mercedes like a hot knife through butter, it made me PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!"
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Speaking of the 57 Buick I mentioned, I just remembered a slightly similar car I saw years ago. This would have been around 1995, as the fintail was still pretty new to me, and it was the summer I was out of high school. I went to a yard sale, where I spotted something big and old with wide whites under a big sheet. I had to ask about it, and the car was a '58 Olds 98 4 door hardtop with something like 30K on it...and it looked it, it was pretty nice. The guy said he wanted like 10 grand for it, which at the time made me scoff, but now that might be about what it would be worth in that condition.
which retained the two-pane windsheild but had bigger, more rounded front fenders. This one was done up in full Army OD with white stars and lettering looking much as it would have during the Korean War era. Spotted yesterday in a parking lot with no top.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
http://archives.pottsville.com/archives/1999/Jan/30/D772019.htm
http://archives.pottsville.com/archives/2003/Aug/19/E587358A.htm
I gotta tell you, a three-wheeled truck with only one wheel in the back, where the load is, strikes me as an exceptionally dumb idea.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Thanx, Andys!
2005 bright red Dodge Magnum R/T Hemi and a 1970 red Pontiac GTO convertible in mint condition. The Dodge was parked at a dealership, while the GTO belonged to someone traveling through the area. I haven't seen it in my neighborhood before. Wish I could have chosen between the two.
And Mr. Shiftright, why on earth do these Berlinas look like shoeboxes?
'86 Chevrolet Chevette - still in pretty decent shape
'76 Ford Pinto station wagon ... aldo in good shape.
I never met an Italian car, be it ugly or pathetically unreliable, that wasn't fun to drive. So I forgive them everything else.
Eckually, the Berlina isn't a bad little car. Same driveline as the Spiders. Like most 70s Alfas, they fell prey to ignorant mechanics, neglect and spotty parts and service.
Most Americans have never even experienced an Alfa Romeo that has been "made right". They only drive the clapped out survivors.
I happen to like the Alfa Berlinas. They're boxy as hell but there's something racy about them, perhaps it's because they were making sport sedans before anyone. The Alfa 1900TI was on the streets a decade before the BMW 1600/2002.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
The branch of the railroad line went defunct in 1935, but the right-of-way remained intact, used by the electric company, natural gas company, access to some private residences, and now a hiker/biker trail.
Well, first I saw a '66 Bel Air 4-door sedan, kind of a beige color. rust coming back through the bondo on the quarter panels. Behind it was an 80's looking car under a cover, and then behind that, a '74 Caprice convertible, very faded maroon. I don't think it's moved in a few years.
A little further up, I saw a '73 Dodge Charger, 318-2bbl, power front disk brakes, copcar rims. Had an ancient sign in the windsheild that said $300.00. This is the kind of car that, cleaned up and taken to Carlisle, some idiot would put a $3-4,000 price tag on it! So it was nice to see a car priced about what it was worth!
It was parked next to a '63 or so Chevy II 4-door sedan, that was probably restorable if you REALLY wanted to, but it wouldn't be worth the effort. It didn't have a sign in it, though.
At a horse farm, I saw a '68 or so Suburban, off in the distance, with weeds growing up around it.
There are about 5 or 6 places where this trail crosses over a creek. At one of them, I looked down, and saw what appeared to be a '63 or '65 full-sized Pontiac down there in the creek! It was hard to tell though, from looking straight down at it. The roof was gone, and from the dashboard back the car was buried under the water, so only the front-end clip was sticking out. The front fenders had a forward thrust to them like a '63 or '65 Pontiac, whereas the '64 and '66 were more straight-up. It also had a crease running across the top of each fender. No hood, either, and the engine bay was filled up with rocks and soot. It's amazing the places cars end up!
Finally, I saw something I couldn't identify near a rifle range. It was parked in a driveway that said "Private Property: No Trespassing", so I didn't go up too close to get a look. I could only see it from the rear, but it looked to be around maybe 190-200 inches long. Looked kinda like those 70's Rolls Royces from the rear, mainly in the rear fenders and taillights, and the way the car sloped off in general. But the roofline made me think of some Eastern Bloc 4-door sedan. Upright and fairly airy, but something that might have been originated in the 60's and still be in production today! The front fenders of the car appeared to slope off, giving it a bit of a wedge shape up front. Any guesses on what that one might've been?
Now, you have to keep in mind that this is a show car that has won numerous trophies, especially at the Mopar Nationals in Carlisle and in Indiana. This is a pretty rare specimen of a 'Cuda: While having the 440 6-bbl engine with the 727 Torqueflite, it is a rare triple red. What makes it more unusual is the fact that it came with a factory delete radio option, and the shifter is on the column. The car was featured in the Dec. 1995 issue of Mopar Monthly.
Ebay time:
Mint Merkur
This is neat-ish
"Talbot-Largo"...made at their Florida factory I guess. Morons
This has a pleasing patina to it
Another German Corvair for Shifty, these things are coming out of the woodwork lately
This would be restored in no time in England
Kinda cool, but the wheels/tires look wrong, too small
I wonder how this thing got in
I kinda like these big wagons
Interesting original DeSoto
Airflow...every time I talk to my dad, he mentions he would like one. I think the 1934 models, which were more outrageous, are the best.
A bit of a fixer upper, but the name "Shopper" is amusing
Tempo diesel...0-60 on a calendar?
Citroen CX---there was some firm in California importing them for a while as I recall. A doomed enterprise to say the least.
Old Renault--you are right, the car looks all wrong in more ways than one. What's with the cheesy upholstery? This car needs to go to France to be sold.
Allard--my god, those cars are still ugly. Time for an assisted suicide. Here are the words of warning right there in the ad: "Wood body framing is rotted in the cowl". This is a Venus Fly Trap for the unwise and unknowing. Poor guy (I hesitate to use the word "winner") is already in $5,000 + shipping, and you can buy a totally magnificently restored one in the UK for $20,000 US. He's dead and buried in this one at least to $40K. Foolish purchase.
Citroen Wagon--- I dunno, they just don't have the romance of the old ones.
Airflow -- seems an honest enough car. They are actually very pleasant to drive compared to most 30s heavy iron. What's with the $900 radiator? Looks pretty beat up for that kind of money. And the top of the dash is kinda scary. Still, you'll get a lot of attention for not much money, and it's a car that you can actually drive.
Merkur -- it's kind of amazing how little people care about these cars. This vehicle is really mint and it is struggling to reach $3,000. Actually an automatic is probably better, as the manual shifter in this car is a sorry affair.
Notice the crappy gas mileage (18/21) for a 4 cylinder, even witha 3 speed auto.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Also present were a 550 Maranello, several Testarossas, a 360 Spider, a 456M and a 330GTC to name a few. I also ogled a Lamborghini Diablo Spider.
Alas there were no Maseratis and few Fiats, tho there was a very nicely turned out and semi-rare
Fiat Dino Spider.
I took the long way home and spotted a number of cool old cars enjoying the nice weather on two-lane blacktop. One was a '65 Dodge Power Wagon pickup that had evidently been completely restored and painted Forest Green. It's the nicest PW I've ever seen.
Aside from that every 60s Mustang ever made seemed to be out. All in all a great day.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
At least it has the advantage of a manual transmission with the V6 ...
The airflow is different shades from front to back. That would drive me nuts. I've told my dad he should be able to find a decent one for 15 grand. He might do it soon, he hasn't really had a vintage car since the Country Sedan that he so enjoyed.
Someone close to my family had an 85 Tempo they got to 190K before they replaced it. It never had a mechanical failure (engine transmission etc), but it nickled and dimed them a lot, especially in electronics. It only stranded them once in 14 years though, that's remarkable.
That original looking Pierce Arrow brought only $11.9K, the auction just ended. I think that's a pretty fair deal.
Today I saw a Model A (not rodded) on I-5, in the slow lane, but it was moving along.
I've seen several nice original-looking Model As recently.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Their value stagnated for many years but it starting once again to creep up. You can buy a runner for $3,500 and a pretty nice one for $8K or so. Just don't plan to go over 50 mph and don't ever plan to stop.
Saw a nice mid 60's Impala SS 396 Convert. the other day. White.
Early Olds 442.
C2 'Vette convert.
A Miata with visible rust! Never saw that before.
Also saw a Kia Sorrento (forget the year) that had just a touch of rust poking through at some sloppy welds, where it looked like the paint cracked.
In 1970, the Barracuda and Challenger were actually based on heavier, beefier intermediate components, whereas ponycars were traditionally based on compacts like the Chevy II/Nova (Camaro), Falcon (Mustang, I think the Mustang II was based on the Pinto!), or Dart/Valiant (1st and 2nd gen Barracuda).
Now by the early 70's, Chrysler was getting a bit sloppier putting their cars together than they had in the past, but so was everybody else. In that timeframe, it seems like the best-build cars were those actually designed in the 60's, and when they DID finally get re-done for the 70's, quality went downhill.
I think maybe some Mopars might have started rusting a bit quicker than a Ford or GM equivalent, because they'd get sloppy with rustproofing, or scrape some body parts down to the bare metal in assembly. So after maybe 2-3 years, a Mopar might start to show its age before its Ford or GM counterpart. But then, once those Ford and GM cars started rusting, they'd catch up quickly!
Think of it as more of a Ford Karman Ghia than a true Mustang (notwithstanding the Ponycar's origin on a Falcon platform).
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I think the Challenger/Barracuda are one of those cars that goes against the rule of "if it was popular when it was new, it's popular and pricey now". Well, these things WEREN'T popular when they were new! They sold tolerably for the first year, but then sales tapered off quickly. They were just too late to the market. Too big and heavy, and dated styling that looked more like a late 60's Camaro/Firebird than a 70's car. Most testers of the time thought that a 340 or 360 Duster/Demon was a far better choice of car.
But today it seems like those loser Mopars are worth a small fortune! Are there any '71-73 Mustangs that are really worth very much? And I know some of the high-output Camaros and Trans Ams are, but I don't think they're still in the same league as a Hemi or 440 Cuda/Challenger.
It was based off the Pinto, but could be had with four, six, or 302V8.
The Cobra II was basically an appearance package and could be had with any of the engines starting in '76, but usually had the 302. That is what Farrah drove in Charlie's Angels.
I had a '77 Cobra II.. My first new car. A real piece of crap, but lots of torque out of the 302. I could out pull a 305 Camaro from that era through second gear, but the lack of deep breathing (2-barrel) and low horsepower (135) would doom you after that..
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
IIRC, the blue striped car was smogged and strangulated, while the red stripe had a free flow exhaust and minimal (if any) smog equipment. Of course, he took the blue striped car to get the emissions checked each year, but the registration and license went on the red striped beast. Pretty sneaky, if you ask me!
They came with blue, red or green stripe.. In '76 they had the blue car with the white stripe, and later the black w/the gold stripe.. All crap.. I sold mine with 48K miles on it to a BHPH lot.. Two clutches gone, plus third one almost gone, bad power steering pump, and on, and on........
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Did they drop that coverage back down sometime later though?
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
This same owner also has an '80s base SAAB 900 hatch and a BMW 320i....he must have a thing for virtually worthless, slow, old cars.
The poor 320i.. It gets ragged on, but it still had a great engine... You could cruise at high speed all day. People go nuts for 2002s, but the 320i was a better car (as any later model should be). I really liked it..
regards,
kyfdx
EDIT: The one with the landau vinyl roof.. That might have been the "Ghia" model.. That was the coupe, as opposed to the hatchback.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
At the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals there were three Fox-bodied Mustangs on display - a 1979 Pace Car, a 1986 GT and a 1993 Cobra. All were in original condition, and the 1979 and 1993 models had less than 1,000 miles on the odometer. The improvement in panel fit and paint quality from 1979 to 1986 (and 1993) was so dramatic it was hard to believe that the cars were made by the same company.
One year/12K mile warranties.. They were practically telling you their cars were garbage.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Another was Peugeot 206 driving around the hood. It was smaller than a Golf but looked much cooler. It was a 5 dr hatch base model. It was the ugliest shade of blue I'd ever seen.
Also saw a Renault Clio. Not the cool Grand Turismo model, but a silver 5dr. Nice.
The 206 & Clio had Mexican plates but the 156 had TX plates on it.
Then I remembered that some crazy car mag called this thing the car of the year back in 84 or so.
Who the heck would buy a French-made anything?
I remember one year my grandmother's brother and sister-in-law came to visit, and they got an Alliance for a rental.
IIRC, the Alliance came as a 2-door, 4-door, and convertible, and the Encore was the 3- and 5-door hatchback. In the late 80's there was a high-output Alliance called the GT-A, which I think came out around the same time Pontiac was using that for a version of the Firebird/Trans Am.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93