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

texases · August 2017

Wonder if it'll be headed for Germany.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

I don't think interest in the coupes is that keen over there, either. It's not a sports car, not an open car, and not a GT car. But of course, for the right price there's always interest in an old Benz.

explorerx4 · August 2017

I've been seeing a gray sedan parked at a restaurant the past week or so.
It looks like a late 40's early 50's Plymouth, but the lower lights are round.
The Plymouth pictures I see have rectangular lower lights.
It's in pretty good shape, paint is shiny and don't see any body corrosion.

kyfdx · August 2017

Sorry for the crappy picture. Had to zoom

roadburner · August 2017

A Shelby "Tribute"-AKA fake- except that Shelby didn't make GT350 or GT500 convertibles until MY 1967.

ab348 · August 2017

Nice Cadillac!

explorerx4 · August 2017

That Mustang has kind of an Eleanor vibe to it.

explorerx4 · August 2017

Spotted today. Looked just like this.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6866605588_326a02d19b_o.jpg

stickguy · August 2017

down in NC, in a Walmart parking lot of all places, a gorgeous 1950s (I think, early) Chevy 3100 rollback car carrier truck. With some very swamp find looking similar vintage shell of a curvy convertible (not even sure what that was).

berri · August 2017

Explorer, I liked those early 55/56 Exner forward look cars and Desoto did it well.

berri · August 2017

Stick, if you ever get lost on I-80 in Jersey and end up across the Mississippi in Iowa (could happen, you're getting older

), there is a huge truck stop just beyond Davenport that has a pretty neat collection of old trucks. In July they have a giant truck-a-rama show that includes a wide variety of old trucks.

stickguy · August 2017

I avoid I80 at all costs. But I have been to Iowa.

xwesx · August 2017

stickguy said:
I avoid I80 at all costs. But I have been to Iowa.

I imagine that 80 is a much more tolerable road as you head west! Actually, the same can be said for pretty much all roads....

berri · August 2017

Well not really. It is bad around Chicago and the stretch from the Il - IA border to Iowa City is a two lane each way truck corral. Eases up west of Des Moines. Of course it is a parking lot from Sacramento to San Francisco as you get to its western edges. It isn't great in NJ, but not all that different than around Chicago or western CA.

xwesx · August 2017

berri said:
Well not really. It is bad around Chicago and the stretch from the Il - IA border to Iowa City is a two lane each way truck corral. Eases up west of Des Moines. Of course it is a parking lot from Sacramento to San Francisco as you get to its western edges. It isn't great in NJ, but not all that different than around Chicago or western CA.

Well, going west ends when you hit CA anyway. That cesspool doesn't count.

Chicago is horrid. Hate that place and the fact that all roads lead there. It's a terrible bottleneck; I try to plan my trips such that I drive through there (if necessary) at about three in the morning! LOL

But, drove 80 through that very crossing (IL to IA) when I picked up my wife's Forester in June. It seemed fine to me, but may be it was just the time of day (around noon on a Saturday).

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

We seem to be veering off topic here...

xwesx · August 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:
We seem to be veering off topic here...

Coffee! Quickly!!!!!

xwesx · August 2017

Speaking of classics, though, I saw an old MB fintail on the road to McCarthy, of all places. I'm not sure it has run in years, but it didn't look totally gone, either. Sadly, I failed to snap a photo of it....

xwesx · August 2017

Also stopped to look at a "memorial" outside of McCarthy of "Rigor-Mortis," which was a vehicle built from miscellaneous vehicle scraps left behind when the copper mine closed in 1938. There's an article here about the creator of the beast, Jim Edwards. It includes a photograph of it (doesn't look too much different today!).

fintail · August 2017

I suspect diesel fintails were not insanely uncommon in AK back in the day, durable vehicles.

Spotted a first gen Odyssey, Saab 9000, and a ~67 Chevelle in traffic today.

texases · August 2017

On our drive up I-35 to see the eclipse (in Grand Island, NE, crowds we're too bad) passed a small-bumper MGB cruising around 60 mph. Bright yellow, pretty rough condition, not my ideal freeway car...

sda · August 2017

When was the last time you saw a Cadillac Catera? I saw two within 10 minutes, both looking tired but out and about.

ab348 · August 2017

Went to a cruise-in tonight and saw this unicorn: a mid-'80s Euro-spec BMW 316 Baur cabriolet in nice condition. The roof rolls back while the window frames and targa bar remain. This is a pic I found online because I couldn't get one of my own; the one here was silver. Never saw one before.

stickguy · August 2017

I like that set up for the convertible. basically a giant sunroof!

fintail · August 2017

I've seen those in E21 and E30 form. I think a few might have made it over in the grey market days, otherwise, importable now.

berri · August 2017

Just like an early 1950's Rambler convertible roof set up

ab348 · August 2017

berri said:
Just like an early 1950's Rambler convertible roof set up

Pretty much, yeah. The one tonight had the top down and it looked a little awkward but not awful. I liked it for the quirkiness. The dual headlights made it throw back to the 2002 look. Also had never seen nor heard of a 316 series of BMW.

kyfdx · August 2017

fintail said:
I've seen those in E21 and E30 form. I think a few might have made it over in the grey market days, otherwise, importable now.

Pretty sure that is an E21. Last model year for the US was 1983.

fintail · August 2017

Yep it's an E21. We also never got single lights, IIRC.

kyfdx said:

Pretty sure that is an E21. Last model year for the US was 1983.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

I saw one of those some years ago stashed in an airplane hanger. Very nice shape, too.

roadburner · August 2017

A friend had an Alpina 323i Baur Cab- it was a great car. Depending on the market the E21 3er was available as a 315, 316, 318, and 320- all M10s with carburetors. The 318i and 320i were fuel injected M10s. while the 323i was a fuel injected M20 "small" six. The lesser models in the range made do with dual 7" headlamps as opposed to the quad setup most people are familiar with.

fintail · August 2017

Saw a very nice early 70s Bronco, top off, not too modified. Also a young guy in an immaculate looking early 90s Regal Gran Sport sedan, moonroof open.

Michaell · August 2017

fintail said:
Saw a very nice early 70s Bronco, top off, not too modified. Also a young guy in an immaculate looking early 90s Regal Gran Sport sedan, moonroof open.

I saw a 1st Gen Bronco last week in our office parking lot.

Looked like one of those resto-mods - tubing all over the place, what looked to be 36" wheels and tires. Easily 6 figures worth of work.

fintail · August 2017

Midlife crises vehicle for the overmonied. Just like a tricked out Vanagon Syncro.

The one I saw looked like how I'd imagine an early Bronco to appear in 1977. Much cleaner.

Michaell said:
<

Looked like one of those resto-mods - tubing all over the place, what looked to be 36" wheels and tires. Easily 6 figures worth of work.

Michaell · August 2017

fintail said:
Midlife crises vehicle for the overmonied. Just like a tricked out Vanagon Syncro.

The one I saw looked like how I'd imagine an early Bronco to appear in 1977. Much cleaner.

Michaell said:
<

Looked like one of those resto-mods - tubing all over the place, what looked to be 36" wheels and tires. Easily 6 figures worth of work.

Would you also say that is true for one of those Singer Porsches?

fintail · August 2017

In some ways, yes. They are more subtle, but definitely something for those with maybe too much money desperately in need of a toy.

Michaell said:

Would you also say that is true for one of those Singer Porsches?

Michaell · August 2017

fintail said:
In some ways, yes. They are more subtle, but definitely something for those with maybe too much money desperately in need of a toy.

Michaell said:

Would you also say that is true for one of those Singer Porsches?

They are nice to look at (all of these up-market resto-mods), but I'm not sure that if I had won last nights Powerball, that I could justify one of them.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

Most resto-mod builders take a terrible beating when it's time to sell them.

omarman · August 2017

Michaell said:

fintail said:
In some ways, yes. They are more subtle, but definitely something for those with maybe too much money desperately in need of a toy.

Michaell said:

Would you also say that is true for one of those Singer Porsches?

They are nice to look at (all of these up-market resto-mods), but I'm not sure that if I had won last nights Powerball, that I could justify one of them.

How about a go-fund-me account for Omar's Save The Ford Elite Project?
If we can save even one, just one Elite then it will be worth it.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

You can help, or you can turn the page...

texases · August 2017

"Restoration began and stopped at the point where its basically a bare body on the frame" Uh-oh...

And what's with all the dropped first letters on words in the ad??

fintail · August 2017

Even if I had Powerball money, I doubt I'd drop hundreds of thousands on a kind of hipstery restomod. I'd have a car collection, but much of it would be far from exotic. No Ford Elites, though.

omarman · August 2017

fintail said:
Even if I had Powerball money, I doubt I'd drop hundreds of thousands on a kind of hipstery restomod. I'd have a car collection, but much of it would be far from exotic. No Ford Elites, though.

Your post says no but you capitalized both Ford and Elite so that's a solid maybe.
Get your wallet out. Give til it hurts. Don't turn this into a Labor Day telethon.

Re: what's with all the dropped first letters on words in the ad?
I was okay with, "oonroof, ed interior, lean title." But then I read,"I drove the car home 10 years ago and began taking it apart to fix all the little things." hat he ell?

fintail · August 2017

A concours quality Ford Elite should be worth about 5K, maybe one could call it an "affordable classic".

omarman said:

Your post says no but you capitalized both Ford and Elite so that's a solid maybe.
Get your wallet out. Give til it hurts. Don't turn this into a Labor Day telethon.

Re: what's with all the dropped first letters on words in the ad?
I was okay with, "oonroof, ed interior, lean title." But then I read,"I drove the car home 10 years ago and began taking it apart to fix all the little things." hat he ell?

stickguy · August 2017

well, ignoring the money required, why would anyone want a 76 Elite anyway? That car, you just can't get there from here. Give it to a votech program and let them have at it.

I do find the dashboard though to be interesting. I would have expected a speedo and gas gauge at best.

ab348 · August 2017

fintail said:
Even if I had Powerball money, I doubt I'd drop hundreds of thousands on a kind of hipstery restomod. I'd have a car collection, but much of it would be far from exotic. No Ford Elites, though.

Yeah, me as well, though I do wonder sometimes. Back in the '90s when I had 2 collector cars - the Cutlass I still have, and a '64 Skylark convertible (out of Seattle originally BTW) that came before it - I found it too much. Basically you can only drive one at a time, and keeping two of them maintained and clean was a chore, more in terms of time than dollars.

So you come into big money and want to have some cool cars, you first need to obtain a facility. Then you need to hire people to take care of them and work on them. Is it still as enjoyable to have all those at that point when they are just like rental cars without the personal connection? I dunno. It's almost like being a hoarder but on a very expensive scale. I see this on Carini's show where you have these people who have had all these cool old cars that they almost never drive.

I was thinking about that earlier this week when I happened to watch a YouTube video featuring Jay Leno and his setup. Having too many cars to drive doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun to me. I don't know if he sells stuff out of his hoard and turns a good part of it over, or just keeps adding to it, but at some point I would think reality would have to set in.

kyfdx · August 2017

$25MM per year for 30 years?

Pretty sure that I'll blow the full $25mm the first year, then try to get by on about $5mm/yr after that.. I sure won't take time to sit around bidding at B-J or Mecum auctions. I'll just buy what I want, when I want it. (and, no more $17/bottle champagne)

fintail · August 2017

That's the problem, where to stop. I'd have to either limit the hoard to maybe 20 cars, or sell them off as I find new ones. Or maybe a bit of both, have a core set of keepers, and rotate the rest. Right now, anything more than one old car seems like a big hassle, but if I had endless free time, it would be different.

That might be the way to go, for some cars, buy them until you get bored, then let it go and find another.

ab348 said:

Yeah, me as well, though I do wonder sometimes. Back in the '90s when I had 2 collector cars - the Cutlass I still have, and a '64 Skylark convertible (out of Seattle originally BTW) that came before it - I found it too much. Basically you can only drive one at a time, and keeping two of them maintained and clean was a chore, more in terms of time than dollars.

So you come into big money and want to have some cool cars, you first need to obtain a facility. Then you need to hire people to take care of them and work on them. Is it still as enjoyable to have all those at that point when they are just like rental cars without the personal connection? I dunno. It's almost like being a hoarder but on a very expensive scale. I see this on Carini's show where you have these people who have had all these cool old cars that they almost never drive.

I was thinking about that earlier this week when I happened to watch a YouTube video featuring Jay Leno and his setup. Having too many cars to drive doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun to me. I don't know if he sells stuff out of his hoard and turns a good part of it over, or just keeps adding to it, but at some point I would think reality would have to set in.

roadburner · August 2017

Michaell said:

fintail said:
Saw a very nice early 70s Bronco, top off, not too modified. Also a young guy in an immaculate looking early 90s Regal Gran Sport sedan, moonroof open.
I saw a 1st Gen Bronco last week in our office parking lot.

Looked like one of those resto-mods - tubing all over the place, what looked to be 36" wheels and tires. Easily 6 figures worth of work.

I had a 1973 I inherited from my father. My 1999 Wrangler is superior in every way to that steaming pile with the possible exception of garnering covetous glances from geezers older than me...

omarman · August 2017

Radio delete Elite? I don't remember seeing any ordered like that before. This one is located pretty far from me but it's the same year as my driver's ed car and if inspected it may turn out to be a fairly clean driver. I like it.

Another '76 but this one has the 460 option which I like and claimed 38K miles which makes me wonder. Looks scruffy under the hood and I didn't see any pics from under the car. Asking price is ugly. Black and brown trim doesn't help.

I"d take a '75 like the white one if better optioned. My driver's ed car didn't have a moonroof option or the 460 but it might be fun to find a loaded one now. Summer of 1975. Good times.

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

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