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

roadburner · April 2019

omarman said:
Must not have sold many '70 Mustang V-8 coupes with a $4100 sticker. That's more than the base price on a '70 Boss 302. That red Mustang above looks all wrong.

This is a '70 Mustang Grande survivor. Correct stance trim and quarter extension fit.

My first car was a Gold 1970 Grande with a white roof. Pretty much destroyed it over a couple of years.

uplanderguy · April 2019

That Bob McDonald pic with the '75 Impala Sport Coupes in them--

That styling is very conservative, but I've thought that that was a late, big Chevy I could have liked owning, if properly optioned. I'd have gotten the wire wheelcovers (hated the full discs that year), the wheel opening moldings, contrasting painted or vinyl top, 50/50 front seats, and the minor gauge package that didn't make the 0-100 speedometer in a space originally designed for 0-120, look so goofy and spaced-out, LOL.

There's a pic of that speedo I'm talking about, in this link, but I can't figure a way to just post the pic here:

http://www.dianesauctions.com/images/75_chevy_caprice_classic_30.jpg

My parents had a '74 Impala Sport Coupe. My Dad hated that the rear windows didn't go down in the Custom Coupe. Ours had no A/C, but was that light pastel baby-puke green with white painted top and a light green cloth interior that had a pleasant swirl design in the cloth.

thebean · April 2019

I envy you guys that have pictures from when you were young. We had to leave all of our pics carved into the walls when we moved into a new cave.

uplanderguy · April 2019

Just got my new Hemmings Classic Car. Looking briefly at that red '75 Caprice convertible, I see it has no A/C. I disliked how Chevy used to not chrome-edge the vents on cars without A/C.

I didn't see it, but my wife's grandparents in Rochester, NY had Chevy convertible after Chevy convertible over the years and their last was a '75 Caprice convertible, triple white per my wife. She said they used to drive around with top down but windows up and a little fan inside the car so they must not have bought A/C in them either. They traded it on a new '86 Monte Carlo with no A/C which I remember when I first met them. Supposedly family members wanted to buy the Caprice but "Grandpa" wouldn't sell. Probably someone at the dealership bought it, LOL.

My wife said as a kid she remembers the '75's white vinyl seats as reminding her of a Band-Aid. I know what she means as those seats were perforated like a Band-Aid.

omarman · April 2019

You had a new cave? We used to dream of living in a cave!

ab348 · April 2019

Here is a pic of Kempt Rd. in Halifax from around 1967 with the McDonald Chev-Olds dealership about halfway along. Bob also introduced Ziebart rustproofing to the area and had the franchise for many years. The image in compressed by the long lens in use on the camera, but between it and his dealership is Halifax Chrysler-Dodge on the left of the frame.

This would probably be a good candidate for the Mystery Car Pics topic, but since we have been discussing it here I thought I'd post it.

I also found some info about how the dealership sponsored various drag racing and stock car participants during the '60s and '70s. One of the pics was of a 1960s drag strip here on a former air force runway. Who knew red Impala 2-door hardtops with wide whites and fender skirts were popular regular transportation among race fans here back then?

explorerx4 · April 2019

Must be spring. Saw this poking it's beak out of the nest.

fintail · April 2019

Saw 2 turn of the century ZX2s today, along with a V8 W126 running a loud custom exhaust, an E31 850, and a 2nd gen Prelude Si.

omarman · April 2019

1993 BMW 850Ci 6-Speed spotted on BaT. Wow.

It looks like a color pic of the BMW superimposed on a black and white background.

tjc78 · April 2019

Very early 90's color. I like those wheels alot.

stickguy · April 2019

I like the whole car. I just would not want to have to pay for care and feeding of it.

It's in CO. Breld should swap the Miata for it!

Speaking of Miatas, this is a super nice Gen 1. But I still won't fit in it I don't think.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-mazda-mx-5-miata-24/

berri · April 2019

Interesting color Omar. I think I like it!

PF_Flyer · April 2019

Only had my cheapo phone and not my camera, but a 1983 (I think) Nissan 300ZX Turbo was in my buddy's shop for an oil change today. These photos don't do justice to the shape the car is in. Only 30K original miles. Regular PA plates, not classic, so he can drive it whenever

stickguy · April 2019

Yeah, that car screams 1980s.

tjc78 · April 2019

That’s like an 88 or 89 with those taillights. Really nice shape.

Those wheels are actually stock in that color so I guess it was ahead of it’s time.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2019

stickguy said:
Yeah, that car screams 1980s.

Probably a 1984. You can still buy 'em pretty cheap. Not too much of a collectible right now, probably due to the looks, but you know, as far as old Zs go, not a bad car to drive.

fintail · April 2019

The 850 coupe I saw yesterday was being driven slowly in traffic by an older woman. Original owner perhaps.

I agree that Z is a late run model with the revised rear fascia.

stickguy · April 2019

If that Z was a stick, I would love to have it.

tjc78 · April 2019

fintail said:
The 850 coupe I saw yesterday was being driven slowly in traffic by an older woman. Original owner perhaps.

I agree that Z is a late run model with the revised rear fascia.

Was the digital dash gone by then? A friend of my Dad's had an 86 or so all loaded up with the digital gauges. I always thought they were so cool then.

fintail · April 2019

Quick google shows them in cars at least through 88. Maybe just phased out with that model, as the new 1990 car was such a huge step forward.

andre1969 · April 2019

On my lunch break at the local shopping center, I spotted a '71 Impala convertible off in the distance. Sort of a faded-out gold color, and some light body damage to the front driver's side fender. Definitely not a trailer queen, but from the looks of it, it probably won't be long before it gets towed!

PF_Flyer · April 2019

stickguy said:
If that Z was a stick, I would love to have it.

Couldn't agree more. If you're gonna have a Z, why NOT a stick??

Michaell · April 2019

PF_Flyer said:

stickguy said:
If that Z was a stick, I would love to have it.
Couldn't agree more. If you're gonna have a Z, why NOT a stick??

Many years ago, when I first got my license, a friend of my mom's found an early 70's Z that she encouraged my folks to buy for me.

Didn't happen.

ab348 · April 2019

PF_Flyer said:

stickguy said:
If that Z was a stick, I would love to have it.
Couldn't agree more. If you're gonna have a Z, why NOT a stick??

Well, those '80s Z cars were much more of a boulevardier for their gold-chain-wearing permed-hair male drivers or big-haired heavily made-up blonde female drivers than they were a sporty car that could possibly benefit from a stick.

fintail · April 2019

I still remember when I was in junior high ~1989, a teacher got a new 300ZX, the final run of the 80s style. It was a 2+2, and I am pretty sure was an automatic. I don't recall her wearing too much makeup, but she was blonde. She had a kid roughly my age, and I remember now and then he'd drive it to school when we were in high school. Still seemed like a cool car at the time, somewhat exotic in a small town.

kyfdx · April 2019

'79-'89 Z cars... the blah years.. three generations, none very good.

tjc78 · April 2019

Saw on another forum. Interesting mix here

tjc78 · April 2019

stickguy · April 2019

the only potentially interesting one is in the garage. Can you tell what the yellow thing is? Kinda looks like an SSR front fender. Would certainly fit with that collection.

andre1969 · April 2019

I could deal with that '77-79 Chevy Caprice/Impala...as long as it's not "customized" too much...

stickguy · April 2019

I walk the dog past a house most evenings that has a collection of old cars. Pretty sure they are all rough at best from what I have seen (the house is pretty crappy, and no surprise, an assortment of junk stuff parked on the yard, including a boat between 2 trees). Anyway, there are a couple lean to shed contraptions in a row, then a couple driveway spots so I think there are 4 cars total.

the one closest to the road I know was some sort of early 70's Mopar. For some reason (it is possible it can be driven, at least the tires were pumped up) the cover was off of it. Looks like a 72ish Barracuda. 340, column shift auto. Has to be original paint. pretty faded and cracked paint, looked like some areas been worked on. Not really rusty though that I could see.

I know one of the other cars is a squarebird, and I think a late 50's Desoto? could be some sort of Plymouth.

No clue what the front car is though.

sda · April 2019

Just outside of our neighborhood is a parked 66 white Ford Galaxie 500 2dr fastback that appears to be straight and all there. It hasn’t moved in 10+ years and wears a patina of black dirt (mold?). It just seems like it is wasting away. I have often wondered why they don’t do something with it. Well, shock, last weekend I discovered it was moved into a freestanding carport, all tires filled, but still filthy. I guess the car gets a little love after all.

fintail · April 2019

"I'm gonna restore it someday"

Mr_Shiftright · April 2019

fintail said:
"I'm gonna restore it someday"

"as soon as it's spent enough time in my preparatory Rotting Chamber".

jpp75 · April 2019

tjc78 said:

fintail said:
The 850 coupe I saw yesterday was being driven slowly in traffic by an older woman. Original owner perhaps.

I agree that Z is a late run model with the revised rear fascia.
Was the digital dash gone by then? A friend of my Dad's had an 86 or so all loaded up with the digital gauges. I always thought they were so cool then.

A girl in my hometown got a 1985 model with the digital dash and I also thought it was very cool.

PF_Flyer · April 2019

There are some movies that are hard to pass up on a rainy day

omarman · April 2019

Favorite car chase with a pink Autobianchi Bianchina driven by some guy in a gorilla suit. Also The Pink Panther movie has that typical pick up line heard at costume parties everywhere, "Take your filthy hands off my asp."

uplanderguy · April 2019

For fin--spotted today on E. Main St. in Kent, OH. I saw (and heard, LOL) it at Raising Cane's when I came out from lunch. I didn't want to take his pic by pulling right up next to him at the light, here.

Mid-thirties long-hair with beard (lots of long-hairs with beards in this college town with the 1970 reputation still intact!). I know it's a '70's and it actually said "220DIESEL" on the decklid. It had a bumper sticker that said "EAT MY SOOT". Lower rear corners of both doors had significant holes, and the LR quarter below the feature line was largely gone.

fintail · April 2019

220D is 1968-73, maybe early in the run with two tone paint. This was the lowline car of its era, painfully slow with an automatic.

Michaell · April 2019

fintail said:
220D is 1968-73, maybe early in the run with two tone paint. This was the lowline car of its era, painfully slow with an automatic.

Tell me about it. My folks bought a '72 220D in 1981 or so. Orange-ish with beige MB-Tex interior. My mother hated it - I think because of the glow plugs you had to wait for before firing the engine up.

Stiffest throttle spring I ever encountered. Was allowed to drive part of the way from our home in SoCal to some friends of my parents in Sacramento. No cruise control and 55 MPH on Interstate 5 was painful.

I got them a vanity plate for it as a Christmas gift one year - REAL SLO

uplanderguy · April 2019

That's a black vinyl top.

fintail · April 2019

Aftermarket/custom item then, no stock vinyl tops on MB.

I suspect top speed on that car might be in the 70 range, tuned engine, downhill, tailwind.

texases · April 2019

Hm. Looks like a reflection on that roof. Not paint?

kyfdx · April 2019

Spotted a Chrysler 300 with the full “Florida” package. Carriage roof and chrome wheels.

Also, all the badges replaced with fake Bentley badges.

To be fair, I’m in Florida.

uplanderguy · April 2019

If that wasn't a vinyl top it was painted in flat black.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2019

I think you could order 2-tone paint in those days. The best Benz from that era is the 220 gas with manual transmission.

ab348 · April 2019

This would be a very nice summer cruiser.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1994-mercedes-benz-e320-cabriolet-14/

Mr_Shiftright · April 2019

Kinda boring by Shiftright standards. Top down might help. Cross your fingers, though, in terms of reliability. It seems like it's been sitting more than driving all these years.

fintail · April 2019

As mentioned in the comments, some big risks on those - wiring harness and headgaskets. If not done yet, might as well be proactive as both will likely be an issue in the future. Still, a very pretty and elegant car, MSRP on those was huge back in the day, around 80K.

andre1969 · April 2019

My new Road & Track just came...

I bet that new, small Mustang is gonna be a winner

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

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles