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

uplanderguy · August 2019

I see no disclaimer about buckets and console in the sedan:

https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/pontiac/78lem/bilder/3.jpg

A "stinging" 301 2-barrel, indeed!

ab348 · August 2019

uplanderguy said:
I see no disclaimer about buckets and console in the sedan:

https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/pontiac/78lem/bilder/3.jpg

A "stinging" 301 2-barrel, indeed!

The repair costs on the 301 could be stinging. I never understood what they did to that engine to make it such a problematic thing since I gather it was based on the usual Pontiac V-8 block.

andre1969 · August 2019

And with that 2.29:1 axle ratio, I'd imagine you'd get a stinging feeling every time a much more mundane car blew you off in the stoplight grand prix. As for the 301, it was based on the Pontiac V-8 block, but heavily modified. Thin-wall casting techniques, not enough main bearings (which it tended to spin), and other tricks to make it lighter. From some of those engine weight charts I've seen on the internet, which I understand are not the Gospel, the 301 weighed around 452 lb, whereas most other Pontiac V-8s were around 600 lb or so.

People that I've talked to said that it's not a bad engine, IF you take care of it and go easy on it. Basically, don't overheat it, let it run too low on oil, go too far between oil changes, stomp on it too much, etc. Essentially, common sense stuff that would eventually ruin any engine...it's just that something like a Chevy 305, Mopar 318, or Ford 302 could tolerate it more. The turbo block was beefier, and supposedly more reliable, although I'd imagine the turbo itself gave issues.

Supposedly the 265 CID version wasn't too bad, but it's been said that's because it didn't have enough power to hurt itself!

I do seem to recall some road test of that era that had a '78 or '79 Grand Am with the 301 and a 4-speed, and a quicker ratio, and they were pretty impressed with it. But, it still didn't break 10 seconds in 0-60. I think it was around 10.5. Pretty lame by today's standards, but to be fair, there weren't a whole lot of cars out there that were that quick back then. Even if the engines might have had the guts to pull it off, they usually stuck them with axle ratios that held them back. FWIW, though, I think even the original '73 Grand Am, with an automatic and the 170 hp 400, was only good for 0-60 in around 12.8, according to one road test I saw.

I wonder if GM had any issues with those tall axle ratios. I know when Chrysler started using 2.26:1 axles, instead of the 2.45:1, it started putting a strain on the transmission, so they changed first gear from 2.45:1 to 2.74:1, and I think they changed second gear from 1.45:1 to 1.58:1, to compensate. However, I think the lightweight GM THM200 transmission already had slightly quicker first and second gears than the older THM 350 and 400 transmissions did. But, of course, those THM200s were troublesome, regardless. At least, in the earlier years.

ab348 · August 2019

Thinking maybe I should buy this, take up smoking a pipe, and start wearing a Harris Tweed jacket and a felt fedora.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-oldsmobile-custom-cruiser/

imidazol97 · August 2019

I am amazed at the clean look, lack of buttons on the steering wheel.

uplanderguy · August 2019

That is an interesting wheel and a very clean car overall.

uplanderguy · August 2019

Went with daughter and her boyfriend to the smallish (650 seat) concert venue in our city last night to see a free screening of "Taking Woodstock", an Ang Lee movie from about a decade ago. Not a great movie but I had to admit, I did not see a single car or truck in that film that was newer than a 1969 model. I usually notice that kind of thing in every 'period' movie. I read today that Ang Lee is a real stickler for historical accuracy in his projects.

Speaking of Woodstock, I'm seeing David Crosby there Tuesday night. I'm in a mindset of wanting to see my favorite artists one last time before they stop touring. So far I've seen Art Garfunkel, Judy Collins, and Al Stewart in the past year or so and the last two were at this theater right in my town.

tjc78 · August 2019

Reminds me of the Poltergeist wagon.

fintail · August 2019

I love this image:

omarman · August 2019

You love that which you serve, Clark.

Family. Quest. Moose.

fintail · August 2019

"I' m just fixing the..uh...license plate here"

Notice the AMC Eagle is probably the "Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon" Clark originally ordered.

There are reproductions of that Lou Glutz license plate available online - if my state didn't have front plates, it would be somewhat tempting to have one.

omarman said:
You love that which you serve, Clark.

Family. Quest. Moose.

omarman · August 2019

Notice the AMC Eagle is probably the "Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon" Clark originally ordered.

Lol! My favorite movies seem to have funny details which I never noticed the first time around.
The Sinclair DINO unleaded gas pump is another good fit for this scene.

fintail · August 2019

I suspect a lot of that was the work of John Hughes - I have no doubt he was the car casting chief of his films, as so many of them have expertly chosen vehicles.

benjaminh · August 2019

laurasdada · August 2019

uplanderguy said:
Went with daughter and her boyfriend to the smallish (650 seat) concert venue in our city last night to see a free screening of "Taking Woodstock", an Ang Lee movie from about a decade ago. Not a great movie but I had to admit, I did not see a single car or truck in that film that was newer than a 1969 model. I usually notice that kind of thing in every 'period' movie. I read today that Ang Lee is a real stickler for historical accuracy in his projects.

Speaking of Woodstock, I'm seeing David Crosby there Tuesday night. I'm in a mindset of wanting to see my favorite artists one last time before they stop touring. So far I've seen Art Garfunkel, Judy Collins, and Al Stewart in the past year or so and the last two were at this theater right in my town.

Went to see David Crosby last month, after four songs he took ill, concert ended. Audience was told they woud be notified of a make-up, have heard nothing so far. Hopefully, you'll get a full show!

Steve Miller put on a nice show here.

andre1969 · August 2019

omarman said:
Notice the AMC Eagle is probably the "Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon" Clark originally ordered.

Lol! My favorite movies seem to have funny details which I never noticed the first time around.
The Sinclair DINO unleaded gas pump is another good fit for this scene.

I've lost track of how many times I've seen this movie, but I think this was the first time I noticed the "DINO" on the pump. Heck, I recorded the movie when it came on "CBS Tuesday Night at the Movies" or whatever back in 1984 or 85. I'm sure that old VHS tape is still packed away, somewhere...now, just to find a VCR...

tjc78 · August 2019

fintail said:
"I' m just fixing the..uh...license plate here"

Notice the AMC Eagle is probably the "Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon" Clark originally ordered.

There are reproductions of that Lou Glutz license plate available online - if my state didn't have front plates, it would be somewhat tempting to have one.

omarman said:
You love that which you serve, Clark.

Family. Quest. Moose.

That one is cool but I’d probably go for this one

uplanderguy · August 2019

Went to see David Crosby last month, after four songs he took ill, concert ended. Audience was told they woud be notified of a make-up, have heard nothing so far. Hopefully, you'll get a full show!

I remember reading that. A classmate sent me a review of his recent NYC show, titled "Crosby 2.0 Knocks It Out Of The Park". He played our small local theater probably six months ago and I didn't go as didn't want to spend the money. I read good reviews and decided just to do it this time. Going solo, as wife says "For $80 his 'and friends' better be Crosby, Stills, and Nash!".

I've always liked the folkies and songwriters and second-or-third-tier artists. Steve Miller would never play this theater. But I love that it's a mile from my house, I park on the street for free, can slip out a side door after the show, and I'm in my garage in five minutes.

Al Stewart blew me away. Had always wanted to see him but wife didn't so went solo. A songwriter who writes about historic events! His band was a rocking band too, believe it or not. I'd put him at probably my favorite show of all after Carly Simon (super rare) and one or two of Judy Collins' shows from way back. Wife dragged me to Herb Alpert at this theater a couple years back and I was sort-of a snob going into it, but his was a great show too, with his wife Lani Hall from 'Brasil '66'.

I'm so enjoying the small venue, even though the place is essentially dumpy (old movie theater), and I'm so tired of big venues that require a screen to see the artist, or even those 5,000-seat places.

laurasdada · August 2019

David Crosby (and Marshall Tucker Band) we saw at a similar, smaller venue in Beverly, MA. Parking is in lcal lots, think I had to throw a quarter in the meter.
Steve Miller (and Moody Blues) played at an outdoor venue on the South Boston waterfront, lucky that we had perfect weather for both! And free indoor parking, thanks to "VIP" tickets supplied by the GF's company. If only they paid for dinner before, too...

berri · August 2019

You are so lucky when you can see a small venue concert. The bigger venues are more about people yelling and dancing, trying to relive their youth. David Crosby is very talented, but loathed by many of his former cohorts. The Byrds were very much ahead of their time, and Crosby Stills Nash (and sometimes Young) were very innovative for rock music.

uplanderguy · August 2019

I've seen Crosby over the years live, in their various iterations. There is a documentary out there now about him called "Remember My Name", playing at the artsy-fartsy theater in Cleveland. I'd like to see it.

I had initially heard someplace that Crosby was unhappy with Nash leaving his decades-long wife for someone half her age fairly recently, but there's gotta be more to it since none of the other three talk to him.

Nash certainly seems the healthiest of all four, but I considered him the lightest-weight writer of all of them.

I've read that Crosby has been pretty prolific the past few years in writing and recording quality stuff, and still sounds good. Even by myself, I'm looking forward to it.

benjaminh · August 2019

explorerx4 · August 2019

@benjaminh,
All those gorgeous pictures of those clean cars make me feel guilty for not washing my truck.

texases · August 2019

Saw a Pug 205 GTI outside the Starbucks today, can't be many around here.

fintail · August 2019

That one might actually still be culturally relevant.

On the Vacation theme, this one would be amusing:

Hughes was really into personalized plates,too.

tjc78 said:

That one is cool but I’d probably go for this one

berri · August 2019

Graham Nash was more a "voice". Funny you mention him because he is the other performer people seem to elude to as causing CSN to break up. He apparently had some issues previously when he was part of the Hollies as well. I've read that Crosby had little patience or tolerance toward others. Might be because he was just so talented as a writer and musician that his standards were very high.

tjc78 · August 2019

fintail said:
That one might actually still be culturally relevant.

On the Vacation theme, this one would be amusing:

Hughes was really into personalized plates,too.

tjc78 said:

That one is cool but I’d probably go for this one

That’s a good one too

“Clark, You’re doing 85 MPH

Doesn’t feel like it does it honey

SLOW DOWN”

fintail · August 2019

Those dark days of 55, but I suppose the Truckster was comfy at that speed, even with the irritating squeak you'll notice at certain points in the film.

Here's another good plate - I wish the BMW used in these scenes would have been visible (I don't recall it anyway):

ab348 · August 2019

I just flicked past Seattle TV news to encounter a story about a ‘67 Chevelle (looked restored) that fell off the flatbed truck that was transporting it on the highway and was heavily damaged. Truck driver ticketed for carrying an unsecured load. Ouch.

benjaminh · August 2019

stickguy · August 2019

a couple miles from my house, someone has their old car for sale at the end of the driveway. Looks to be about a 65. Nova 2 door. Looked very nice. Dark gray paint, on cragers. did not get a real good look at it, and no clue about details. But it was sharp, and I liked it!

tjc78 · August 2019

benjaminh said:

My Uncle has one of those. Gorgeous car

fintail · August 2019

Here's the Chevelle

Years ago I saw a 58 Pontiac convertible in the small town where my mom lives, I think it had fuel injection.

ab348 · August 2019

The Twitter pics let you see that the Chevelle was a resto in progress, no windshield and no interior, and awaiting paint, so the hit isn’t as bad. But that buckled rear quarter panel is gonna be expensive.

fintail · August 2019

I'd imagine it might be done, not a rare car, so maybe at the same time, cheap to fix.

The fines and insurance will hurt a bit, too.

fintail · August 2019

Every few days I play and half-watch an old episode ofThe Price Is Right via Youtube on the Fire Stick. I was really into the show when I was a little kid, and it can be fun to watch now for the old cars, old tech, clothing and hairstyles, music, commercials, prices, etc. I saw one this afternoon with quite a fetching downsized Malibu coupe: blue on white (starts at roughly 43:20):

https://youtu.be/TRNaJ64NiJI?t=2598

imidazol97 · August 2019

tjc78 said:

benjaminh said:

My Uncle has one of those. Gorgeous car

My Uncle has one of those. Gorgeous car

Is the car on the left a Studebaker or Packard?

laurasdada · August 2019

Fin, I love watching the old game shows, Price is Right, Let's Make a Deal, Sale of the Century et al, precisely to see the fabulous cars (and clothes, hairstyles of the day) offered. It's fun to watch folks screaming in joy after winning a Vega, knowing not what lies ahead!

bhill2 · August 2019

imidazol97 said:

tjc78 said:

benjaminh said:

My Uncle has one of those. Gorgeous car

My Uncle has one of those. Gorgeous car

Is the car on the left a Studebaker or Packard?

Gotta be a Packard, the side trim is wrong for a Stude. But it's one of the Packardbaker years, however, so Stude is not far off.

benjaminh · August 2019

uplanderguy · August 2019

Is the car on the left a Studebaker or Packard?

'57 Packard Clipper, supercharged. Those tend in the real world to bring more bucks than earlier-fifties "real" Packard Clipper sedans.

I like the low beltline and trim proportions of those cars, which of course wasn't considered a sales benefit in the late fifties, LOL.

uplanderguy · August 2019

fin, thanks for posting TPIR '78 Malibu Classic, which I've said here that I have a not-rational appreciation for! I love the white 50/50 bench seat in that car.

I knew a girl in college who in '80 or '81 bought a 16K mile same light metallic blue with white Landau top '78 Malibu Classic Landau coupe, those same wheelcovers, white bucket seats and console and the optional instrumentation I liked. Loved that car; lost track of her and the car. On those cars, the console met up with the instrument panel. Only Chevy and Pontiac were like that, I think.

That car can't be the actual car given, at $5,049.00. Hell, my friends' parents' '78 Malibu Classic 4-door sedan with V8, A/C, cruise, whitewalls, vinyl top was $6,600. I noticed when they were reading the options they said "Rally Wheels". The car pictured has the "Sport Wheel Covers".

When other guys my age wanted a Camaro, Corvette, or Datsun Z, I wanted one of these with the F-41 suspension. Hey, you could actually put something in the trunk and people in the back seat! Plus, at the time they were considered somewhat "new thinking".

Watching the clip again, they don't say "Malibu Classic", just "Malibu". Ah ha, no wonder just $5,049! Again, can't be the car shown. That seems a bit shady but probably done all the time back then.

tjc78 · August 2019

I thought the price seemed low... so cool seeing those old episodes.

andre1969 · August 2019

They don't say "Malibu Classic", but I'm pretty sure that's what that car is. That vinyl seat pattern looks like the Malibu Classics I remember from that era, plus it's a 50-50 split bench. I was thinking a Malibu Classic should have a stand up hood ornament, but I just looked at the 1978 brochure online, and the ones there didn't have it either. But they did have that bright trim around the wheel openings. It also looks like it has power windows. So yeah, I'm sure that car should be more than $5,049. Unless it's stripped down in other ways, perhaps, like just the standard 3.3 V-6, no a/c? I'm at work, so I didn't listen to it with the sound on so I didn't hear the options.

My Mom's 1980 Malibu coupe was around $6700 out the door, when it was new. It was just a regular, non-Classic. 229 V-6, which was thankfully made standard that year, automatic, power steering/brakes, a/c, AM/FM radio, rear window defrost, white walls, vinyl interior. Bench front seat. I think its base MSRP was around $5500. Of course, inflation was pretty rampant back then, so $5,000 in 1978 was NOT the same as $5,000 in 1980.

But, my grandparents bought a '75 Dart Swinger, 225 slant six, and Mom bought a '75 LeMans coupe with the 350-2bbl, and both of those were around $5,000. So I can't imagine that Malibu in '78, equipped like that, being that cheap. And, interestingly, a bigger engine usually didn't add too much to the price of a car in those days. Often, you could get a big engine for about the price of an 8-track.

uplanderguy · August 2019

I know the car is a Malibu Classic, but the car they describe, and priced, cannot be that car pictured.

When they rattle off the options, they don't say A/C, V8, or even radio, and they just say "Malibu", which I could believe for that $5,049 price. That car pictured has power windows too--that's a $7,000 car in '78.

My parents' '80 Monte Carlo, 229 V6, Rally Wheels, whitewalls, AM/FM radio and rear seat speaker, Custom Deluxe (colored) seat belts, tinted glass, Sport Mirrors, Exterior Decor Group which got you the belt moldings, rocker moldings, body side moldings, and painted pinstriping, and the Montes that year came standard with clock and F-41 suspension and 70-series tires, stickered at the bottom, after destination, at $7,070.00. No A/C. I had the sticker around here until a couple years ago.

You're right about inflation being quite rampant those years. In '79 was the first time I saw a Caprice Classic hit $10K sticker. At Clarion, where I went to college, one of the young guy detailers at the Chevy dealer (I know they didn't call it that then, LOL) ordered a new dark blue with white top Caprice Classic Landau, loaded with everything including power sunroof and I remember the sticker was $9,600. I wondered then, and now, how'd he pay for that, LOL. I remember he said he ordered it as a '77 and it came in a '78 at the beginning of the model year.

About the '79 Caprice Classic I saw at our hometown dealer for $10K, I can remember my Dad saying, "I never thought I'd see a $10K Chevy", LOL.

fintail · August 2019

I thought the price seemed a tad low on that Malibu, too. There might have been some shenanigans at play, although I can't imagine them displaying one car and awarding another - maybe the announcer had the wrong invoice. I've noticed they often had sparsely optioned cars, especially as the show moved into the 80s and 90s - listed options would sometimes only be a radio or maybe AC if you were lucky. I call such cars "game show specials" - also kind of rental car spec. Very interesting to watch anyway, along with the $800 console 25" TVs, $500 microwaves, and $1000 VCRs.

In watching several of these, I noticed there was a batch of moderately equipped Novas or Buick siblings given away in 76-77, along with several late run Vegas, and a Chevette would pop up here and there along with a Monza or sibling. Seldom anything higher than a Malibu. Now and then something would appear, like a Cadillac, Jaguar, Mercedes. Japanese cars seemed to make their arrival on TPiR around 1980-81, Mazdas and Datsuns. Here's another 1978 episode featuring both a Monza and a then-new MB W123, and amusing clothing all-round:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOO3CbXKrf4

I notice that pretty Packardbaker has 1963 issue WA plates, but with a month decal, never noticed anything like that before, I'd be interested to see the rear plate to see if those are period issued plates kept on the car, or were we-registered.

ab348 · August 2019

That '78 TPIR Malibu is a really pretty combo as Bill noted. Cannot beat a white interior on a light-colored car like that! I also found the price ridiculously low. That show was when Bob Barker was still using hair dye, and before Janice Pennington, the car presenter, was unceremoniously fired, leaving under bad terms with Barker and the producers. Show biz!!

stickguy · August 2019

I forgot how hyper bob was in the early days

uplanderguy · August 2019

You know, he handled the affair thing the right way--he 'fessed right up. I can't remember if that was with Janice, or Janice was the one he bullied about gaining weight.

But on the affair, I remember he admitted it, said she had told him he needed "excitement in his life", and he said, "I didn't need THAT kind of excitement!". This was after his longtime wife Dorothy had passed. And the story largely blew away.

andre1969 · August 2019

uplanderguy said:
About the '79 Caprice Classic I saw at our hometown dealer for $10K, I can remember my Dad saying, "I never thought I'd see a $10K Chevy", LOL.

Yeah, that is crazy. On the surface, that sounds like Electra/Ninety-Eight/New Yorker territory! But, I think even by '79, air conditioning was still technically an option on those cars, even though it was probably ordered on just about every single one.

FWIW, I remember going into a Dodge dealer in 1993, and looking at an Intrepid that had in the showroom. At that time, I remember thinking good lord, who would've ever thought the day would come when you'd see a $25,000 Dodge!

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

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