Mystery car pix

andys120 · February 2017

texases said:
'64 Imperial? Mad Men? Don Draper?

Right on both counts it's a 1964 Imperial Crown (not badged Chrysler in'64) being driven by Jon Hamm who played Don Draper in Mad Men.

andys120 · February 2017

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

Oh, Rudge wheels???. Might be a 60s 4-cam Carrera?

That engine, just as a side note, is considered one of the most challenging to rebuild in all of engine-dom. You have to be at the very top of your game to tackle one.

andys120 · February 2017

Don't know exactly what's under the hood...could be a 4cammer or just a regular flat4...
could even be a VW mill or a Subaru (hint).

bhill2 · February 2017

Yeah, i saw the seats with headrests and figured it must be a reproduction. The only one i can remember is the Speedster.

andys120 · February 2017

bhill2 said:
Yeah, i saw the seats with headrests and figured it must be a reproduction. The only one i can remember is the Speedster.

Yep, it's a reproduction patterned after a particular Porsche 356 so we have two questions:

Which 356 does it more or less replicate (IMO it's cosmetically 85% accurate and I've seen one in person)?

Who makes it?

stickguy · February 2017

I thought speedster. And assume Beck? Though I think one of the repo places (factory 5?) makes one too.

fintail · February 2017

356 Convertible D - never seen a replica of one before.

andys120 · February 2017

fintail said:
356 Convertible D - never seen a replica of one before.

Nor had I, until I spotted one at a car show in Tucson. Convertible Ds are really rare so I struck up a conversation w the owner who told me at was a replica, and very convincing one.

The Porsche 356A Convertible D was made in small numbers around 1959.
It was an attempt to bridge the gap between the Speedster and the 356 Cabriolet. As such it featured roll up windows and a top that could be folded (rather than disassembled). The windshield was taller than on a Speedster but less substantial than that on a Cabrio. They were bodied by Drauz (hence the "D"). It's long been a favorite iteration of the many 356 variants.

This replica not made by Beck, but by another constructor which has been around since the 60s and made a number of interesting cars, including these:

Ring a bell anyone?

fintail · February 2017

That first/darker colored car is an Apollo 3500 GT, known as the "Thorndyke Special" (bad guy car) in the original "Herbie" movie:

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

Anyone know this car?

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

Another view:

fintail · February 2017

Must be a VW something, maybe Brazilian? The Wolfsburg plates with a "Historic" suffix give a hint

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

Oh yeah, you're on it. Can you guess the designer perhaps, or what the VW "something" is? It's a popular name.

Yes, Brazil.

texases · February 2017

I found it...it's a VW...

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

GM had its Camaro and VW had its..........?

andys120 · February 2017

fintail said:
That first/darker colored car is an Apollo 3500 GT, known as the "Thorndyke Special" (bad guy car) in the original "Herbie" movie:

Yup, that's an Apollo GT, a Buick V8 powered coupe with a slinky Italian body. international Motors of Oakland CA. Eventually IM evolved into the company that made the 356 replica in my previous post. Anybody know their name?

texases · February 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:
Another view:

Well, with no other guesses, here it is, the Brazilian Karmann Ghia TC, designed by Giugiaro:
http://jalopnik.com/this-brazil-only-ghia-may-be-the-loveliest-air-cooled-v-1636150650

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

Yep. I kinda like it. Pancake engine with dual carbs, trunk space front and rear.

fintail · February 2017

I don't know the 356 replica, but interesting that IM was in Oakland, as Herbie took place in San Francisco.

andys120 · February 2017

Okay here's the scoop. International Motors was founded by a Canadian , Frank Reisner in Turin, Italy and eventually evolved into Intermeccanica, now-based in Vancouver BC. They now build three different versions of 356 Speedsters and the Convertible D as well as the Volkswagen Kubelwagen. The company now run by Reisner's son has been involved in building an amazing variety of vehicles. Here's the company history.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

Some of the Porsche replicas are amazingly accurate. I often can't tell unless I really poke my nose in and under the car.

andys120 · February 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:
Some of the Porsche replicas are amazingly accurate. I often can't tell unless I really poke my nose in and under the car.

True...I have a rule of thumb. If I see a correct looking car that's to valuable to be driven on the street, I assume it's a replica. This applies generally to Porsche Speedsters and 427 Cobras since real ones are worth close to or over $1 million.

In addition to replicas, a whole class of reproductions is emerging. These are cars made by the original maker that recreate originals. Jaguar is making new lightweight E-Types, Shelby makes a new limited series of small-block Cobras and Aston-Martin plans a new series of DB-5s.

There's also what you might call resto-mod versions of several different cars/trucks. Banged up old ones are bought up, torn down and refitted with modifications making them suitable for modern conditions. Ikon Industries makes new/old Toyota FJ40s, Jeeps and IH Scouts.
There's a cottage industry in the UK involved in "remanufacturing" E-Type and Mark II Jags. It's all pretty cool but the price of admission is really high.

Michaell · February 2017

andys120 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:
Some of the Porsche replicas are amazingly accurate. I often can't tell unless I really poke my nose in and under the car.
There's also what you might call resto-mod versions of several different cars/trucks. Banged up old ones are bought up, torn down and refitted with modifications making them suitable for modern conditions. Ikon Industries makes new/old Toyota FJ40s, Jeeps and IH Scouts.

There's a cottage industry in the UK involved in "remanufacturing" E-Type and Mark II Jags. It's all pretty cool but the price of admission is really high.

The stuff from Ikon runs $200-300K, and the E-Types in the UK are likely between $500K-1M

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

I think that upcoming industry speaks to the fact that many wonderful old cars are not that wonderful to drive on modern roads in modern times. Things like better brakes, accurate suspension, fuel injection, AC, safety features, premium sound systems---people will pay for that, and relegate the "real" cars to putt-putts around the lawn.

Of course, there are those stalwarts who will indeed take their 1/2 mil to 10 mil cars out on the track and bang 'em up---not intentionally of course, but they race with enthusiasm. The cars themselves are not at great risk, unless the driver is ham-fisted (oh, it happens), but engines could blow up. Everyone cheats of course, on power output.

I personally would use any classic car I bought on a regular basis.

andys120 · February 2017

You probably recognize that fellow, but what's he getting out of?

kyfdx · February 2017

Austin Healey 3000 coupe?

kyfdx · February 2017

Probably not... seems a little pedestrian for Leno..

stickguy · February 2017

some sort of Cunningham?

iluvmysephia1 · February 2017

Austin Healey would be as good a guess as any, really.

berri · February 2017

I'm going with Stick's Cunningham - it is Jay Leno!

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

Yep, stick and berri are on it. 1952 Cunningham C3 looks like.

andys120 · February 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:
Yep, stick and berri are on it. 1952 Cunningham C3 looks like.

Yup, it's a ca. 1952 Cunningham C3, bodied by Vignale, most were powered by Chrysler Hemi V8s. Briggs Cunningham built mostly race cars but the C3 was a luxury sports/GT.

andys120 · February 2017

Except for the two center front there's only bits and pieces in view, can you ID the cars they're attached to?

I'll start with the roof of a BMW 2002/1600 visible at bottom of the rightmost palm tree.

stickguy · February 2017

1964ish Ford Falcon wagon taillight bottom left. and a Ford Econoline (if they were called that back then) window van in front of the Sundries store.

texases · February 2017

I'm having trouble with what looks like a '64-ish Dodge behind the Ranchero and Falcon on the left. Trunk emblem is Dodge, but taillights look more like a Plymouth Savoy...?

fintail · February 2017

I can't see a BMW. The car under the tree at R appears to be a Studebaker, to my eyes.

File name suggests the pic is from 1965.

andys120 · February 2017

fintail said:
I can't see a BMW. The car under the tree at R appears to be a Studebaker, to my eyes.

File name suggests the pic is from 1965.

Pic is from Clearwater FL in 1965 but I can only see one car that is definitely a '65, the dark blue MoPar is front of the Poncho in the foreground.

I'm sticking to my guns on the BMW, I get why you think it's a Stude (Lark?) but the tall greenhouse sez BMW to me.

There's one other import in this picture...see it?

fintail · February 2017

I still see a Stude, like a Cruiser or something

A few spots to the left of that car looks like a Morris Minor convertible.

andys120 said:

I'm sticking to my guns on the BMW, I get why you think it's a Stude (Lark?) but the tall greenhouse sez BMW to me.

There's one other import in this picture...see it?

texases · February 2017

While it doesn't jump out as a BMW, it's closer to that than a Stude, given the c pillar. But isn't 1964 too old for a BMW 1600? BMWs would have been very rare in the US back then.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2017

'67 would be the first 1600

andys120 · February 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:
'67 would be the first 1600

My bad! I guess I forgot there weren't any of the 02 cars here until after that pic so yeah It looks like it's a Lark.

fintail said:
I still see a Stude, like a Cruiser or something

A few spots to the left of that car looks like a Morris Minor convertible.

I assume you mean the convertible w the white top. The top does have the rounded look of a Minor but a white top seems odd for one of those. Odd but apparently not unheard of (and certainly desireable in Florida>

fintail · February 2017

I bet white tops and even whitewalls could be had on US export Minors. I've seen a few US model cabrios, I bet they were fun on wide open early interstates.

The palm tree car made me think Stude also because of the slight downward angle in the roof/greenhouse - Cruiser ca. 1963. If only we could see more of the C-pillar.

andys120 · February 2017

The blue/white Buick parked in front of the '63 Impala is a '63, possibly a Wildcat (based on the shape of the side trim).
I can't recall what other Buicks had three ports that year.

uplanderguy · February 2017

That is a '63 Lark or Cruiser 4-door sedan.

http://cdn.barrett-jackson.com/staging/carlist/items/Fullsize/Cars/71187/71187_Rear_3-4_Web.jpg

I think even the instrument panel gives it away in that pic:

http://billstudepage.homestead.com/files/unnm63larkint.jpg

I had a '63 Lark for 23 years; I'm pretty sure of this one.

When I'm off work, I'll finish the "quiz", LOL, although it'll most-likely be finished by everybody else before then!

andys120 · February 2017

You can see the instruments in that pic? They're in deep shadow on my monitor.

uplanderguy · February 2017

I'm able to enlarge the pic some, and see the hooded instrumentation part, and the horizontal strip of bright metal to the right of it, across the panel.

uplanderguy · February 2017

The other cars are '64-65 Falcon Squire, '61 Pontiac Catalina 4-door, '63 Impala, Mopar of some kind; to the left again, '65 Plymouth Fury, '63 Buick LeSabre, '63 or '64 Olds 88, '59 or '60 Chevy 4-door; to the left again, '63 Dodge 330 or 440, pink car I think could be a '60 or '61 Rambler Classic, '63 Studebaker 4-door, '65 Chrysler 4-door, Econoline van, Ford pickup; '65-66 Plymouth full-size wagon; and I'm at a loss on the others.

andys120 · February 2017

uplanderguy · February 2017

Chrysler Concorde, probably '93-94 range?

Mystery car pix

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