Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

fintail · February 2020

Accord is the right generation in the right color, pretty close to teal which suits the year.

My old college roommate was handed down a 92 in a silvery green with that same interior, around 1996-97. His mom was a long distance commuter, and it had close to 150K on it then. He miled it up to something like 220K when he let it go, just because he wanted something faster (the car was pretty slow, and had the turning radius of the Queen Mary). He still fondly looks back on that generation, and I suspect will someday have one as a "vintage" car.

fintail · February 2020

Another local find from the facebook fintail page - I like the patina. Seems people are finally rescuing these cars now:

fintail · February 2020

Had to pop over to BaT for an errand, and a couple more caught my eye:

Big block wagon "king" of the road

Be still my heart - if I had money and storage space burning a hole in my pocket, I'd seriously want this. Almost the best color (I'd like a lightish/teal blue, but this works fine), highest model, preservation, not many out there like this anymore.

qbrozen · February 2020

Holy hell, the underside of that wagon looks better than new!

omarman · February 2020

That '69 Kingswood caught my eye. Didn't read the comments so maybe the answers lie in there, but its features include..."A two-spoke steering wheel with woodgrain accents frames a 120-mph speedometer, a fuel level gauge, and a digital clock." Digital clock in '69? Not in my brother's '69 Impala.

And did Canadian built Chevy's have speedometers in mph or kph? I really don't know. And after the "refurbishing" which was "said to have rebuilt the engine" the odometer was "reportedly reset"?

That steering wheel insert looks like it was spray painted flat black to cover (most) of the bright trim around the horn buttons and fake wood insert. Maybe the bright trim rubbed off but the insert itself looks painted with a rattle can. The fake wood insert looks like it was spray painted brown. Does anybody know what is is that small chrome fixture mounted on the dash near the digital clock?

Also I found a picture of some document stating the car's production date was "September 29, 1969" and shipping date, "September 30, 1968." Now that's a time warp collectible!

fintail · February 2020

ab348 can probably correct me, but I think Canada went to metric speedometers around MY 1979.

What irks me about the wagon are those hubcaps. I'd prefer correct deluxe wheelcovers

stickguy · February 2020

down the old rabbit hole!

this is truly cool. If I was idle rich with an oddball collection, this would be great to have as a car mover.

https://bringatrailer.com/2020/02/20/incredible-car-hauler-1966-mercedes-unimog/

I love these. Needs a complete restore at this point. A labor of love most likely.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-volvo-123-gt-4/

omarman · February 2020

Yep. The wheel covers seem like an easy thing to fix but looks so out of place as it is now.

ab348 · February 2020

fintail said:
ab348 can probably correct me, but I think Canada went to metric speedometers around MY 1979.

What irks me about the wagon are those hubcaps. I'd prefer correct deluxe wheelcovers

Canada went to metric speedos in MY 1978. Most cars still had 5-digit odometers though, so you had them rolling over at just over 60K miles, not so great.

I'm not a fan of this wagon TBH. As @omarman stated the steering wheel is messed up and looks clumsily "restored". The tilt wheel lever is also different from the turn signal and gear levers which makes me suspicious. The digital clock is a strange addition, and the undercarriage is overdone with black paint. Front drum brakes are no prize either on a car like this, and whoever thought dog dish hubcaps were a good thing when full wheel covers were standard needs their head examined. We had a '69 Impala in these same colors and that interior is the same as the Impala. I think that Chevy did that with the Kingswood Estate for some reason but it seemed a cheapskate sort of move on their part. I'm not a fan of the '69 Chevy in general - the body looks too wide for the wheel tread, and that dash wasn't particularly nice.

omarman · February 2020

Category of "Why would I ever sell this stuff when I've always wanted it and would miss it when it's gone?"

I laughed at the Trans Am hood chicken but this one is on a Jeep! Keeper!

Just swap out the chrome rims and replace the tires at the same time.

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

Whatever the downside is for owning this car you can make it all go away by stomping on the gas.

I watched this video but was thinking of Joe Carson Honda on the square in Nerk.

https://youtu.be/yLZpgxZiIBI
Good times.

tjc78 · February 2020

I want that Regal. Seriously, want

fintail · February 2020

Hood eagle on the Jeep is pretty cool.

For the SEC, I would replace the tires but keep the wheels, they are correct for the car. IIRC MB issued painted wheels, and chromed wheels were a dealer installed option. Kind of bland colors, but condition looks very nice, no chrome fender trim or aftermarket radio etc - good ones are holding somewhat decent values (although not compared to original MSRP - someone probably paid around 70K for that car when new).

tjc78 · February 2020

I know there is a lot of dislike for chrome wheels here, but on the right car I like them.

My 2012 LaCrosse had them and since the car was black they looked awesome IMO.

I guess it’s all personal preference. I dislike black wheels on newer cars, but I know I’m in the minority on that.

texases · February 2020

I’m with you. Rare is the car that looks good to me with black wheels.

fintail · February 2020

I eventually put stock style chromes on my W126. I later had second thoughts as it was a bit blingier than I like. but it still worked OK - and I sold the painted wheels, so it was too late. I probably should have put monoblocks on it, but these were period correct:

Chrome wheels on cars after the late 90s generally don't work, but on traditional cars like a Buick or Caddy, just maybe.

Not a fan of black wheels. My Jag rental in Germany had them, just pulled it off due to the blackness of the car, probably wouldn't work with another color:

gsemike · February 2020

I also think the black wheel thing has been overdone

A few Facebook marketplace finds

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/585571285383680 These corollas have some charm. They all seem to end up with weldwheels. Either way, this looks clean

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/799708690521399 This Bonne is a litle ratty but still an OK unique driver for 4 figures

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/200749467949257 I love fuselage cars, but dislike the 440 badging on a 318 car, and that rot on the quarter is scary

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/500106834246737 This looks good for a cop car

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/878730622556273 Not a bad buy in price for a clean convertible but you'd have to undo alot of the current owners design choices

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/420165405530451 Anyone willing to save this 65 Impala? I want to smack whoever did that interior work btw

ab348 · February 2020

That Bonneville is like a grandparent whose mind has gone somewhat wonky and suddenly starts dressing and acting like their grandkids. It's on the verge of going to the old car nursing home.

The '73 Satellite is just sad. New quarters mean new paint and even then you are stuck with a non-original interior and a hood treatment writing checks the 318 can't cash. Ridiculously overpriced.

I just know that the '72 LeMans runs like crap based on the pictures and description of the engine. People are clueless.

fintail · February 2020

Corolla is neat, but not for a dollar short of 10MM

Several of those have survived in my area, every single one is modified in some way.

Cop car could be a fair deal, Bonneville would be 2x as much if it was an Impala.

stickguy · February 2020

would be nice to see the Corolla interior. I like those, and have a weird affinity for wagons. So if it was clean and a 5 speed, would not mind having one at a decent price. and fine with selective upgrades and mods!

omarman · February 2020

I like the Fury best of the lot. Wish there were more pics but for $3K it looks like a good deal.

"I'm selling my 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner Tribute." So just a rusty Satellite for $12K? Pass.

That '65 Chevy interior...Why? Needs everything and missing original interior/trim. Pass.

The '63 Bonneville gets my vote for coolest hi-beam indicator!

kyfdx · February 2020

I remember those being blue, on my mother’s Pontiacs

ab348 · February 2020

kyfdx said:
I remember those being blue, on my mother’s Pontiacs

When I was a kid my dad had '63, '65 and '67 Pontiacs so I remember the Chief's head indicator too. My recollection is that they were all red. I think red was GM's standard for that indicator in the '60s across all makes.

qbrozen · February 2020

gsemike said:
I also think the black wheel thing has been overdone

Out of curiosity, what wheel type do you think has NOT been overdone? Surely not chrome, nor silver, nor gray. Black is just one of a few options we have, frankly. I'd actually like a return to black with dog dish hubcaps. haha.

kyfdx · February 2020

ab348 said:

kyfdx said:
I remember those being blue, on my mother’s Pontiacs
When I was a kid my dad had '63, '65 and '67 Pontiacs so I remember the Chief's head indicator too. My recollection is that they were all red. I think red was GM's standard for that indicator in the '60s across all makes.

Maybe, I'm thinking of the Lincolns in the '70s? We had '62 and '67 Pontiacs.

tjc78 · February 2020

The 85 Fury would be a great winter beater. Find a set of seats out of a Fifth Avenue and rock on.

The Bonnie would be a cool cruiser on the cheap.

qbrozen · February 2020

I'm not so sure that '65 Impala is worth saving. Shame.

fintail · February 2020

Popped into marketplace for a 5 minute browse, lots of sad cases, a few highlights:

Someone should save it, looks pretty clean, and has "wheels" which are far superior to wire caps

Ground effects

Winner

Still ahead of the market

Now we're talking

Angles at a time of aero

Frankencar, fun hood

Dear but looks quite nice

Hard to believe this is nearly 30 years old

omarman · February 2020

The Lincoln would sell quick around here. And the Capri too. "No rust? I'll buy it!"

Something about that short bed Champ looks familiar...

ab348 · February 2020

The ‘88 Town Car looks good but the drivers seat leather needs attention now.

Back in ‘85 I really wanted a Celica GTS like that but they were about $4k more than the MR2 I ended up buying. No regrets on it but the Celica was a lot more car.

tjc78 · February 2020

Town car has two negatives for me. It’s a base model with an aftermarket sunroof.

stickguy · February 2020

I like the Capri. but would prefer it totally stock. But could be fun.

stickguy · February 2020

I always wanted one of those Celicas. too bad it's a slushbox

fintail · March 2020

It's March. I bought the fintail in March 1995, so technically we are at 25 years now (although it was late March, IIRC). A quarter century. I was a wide eyed 18 year old not yet broken down by the real world. Took the old dear out for a spin - ran like a top other than a slight miss at in-gear idle that comes and goes, and the turn signal issue. A guy at the gas station in a Miata PRHT really liked the car and wanted to know more. More amusing was an old man out for a walk who saw me coming, stopped, and turned his head following me as I drove by. Reminded me of the Biff quote "A Flying Delorean, haven't seen one of those in...30 years".

Car was in its best 10-footer form today, looking pristine from a small distance under partly cloudy skies:

tjc78 · March 2020

So great you can have a piece of your teenage years.

I had an 89 Grand Marquis at 18 so while getting a little thin on the ground not nearly as rare.

I see a box Panther at least once a week here (different ones)

fintail · March 2020

I have some history with this car. Good times in college, I even used it as my DD for about a year after I graduated (short commute), I've put some miles on it. It's a big sentimental object now.

My history with it goes back even further. I first saw it when I was maybe 14 or 15, in the parking lot of the grocery store where my dad was manager. It was close to home, and we'd walk there now and then (we also discovered his 60 Ford on that walk, as it was parked between a couple buildings on the route). I pointed out the old blue MB, and I remember him saying something like "you don't see those so clean anymore". I'd see it around town now and then, and then one day I went to another store, and it was parked with a "For Sale" sign. I just had to call and take a drive as I was able to scrape and borrow the relatively small funds for a potential purchase. I feel in love with the first drive, and that was that.

stickguy · March 2020

if I hit lotto and had some money to waste, I might try to recreate some of my early days cars. Though probably the only one that wouldn't get me looked at funny is the first one, a '67 Camaro. The duster I could do, but would upgrade to a modded 340. Might want to skip the series of AMCs. I refuse to touch another Opel, but a mid 70s Corolla could be fun. Tweaked of course.

fintail · March 2020

First car I regularly drove was the 66 Galaxie. It was cool, but I don't think I'd want to do it again, just too thirsty, and I don't like finicky carbs. Then I drove the Tempo for awhile - I low-key liked it back in the day as ours was immaculate and in a good color combo so it still looked modern enough in the 90s, and still have some affection for those as ours was extremely reliable and took a beating under some teenage drivers and kept on going. But I don't see myself seeking a Tempo either. I was lucky to hold on to this car. Now that I think of it, it is also kind of a link to my dad, first seeing it alongside him, and he was always interested in the MFI and how some parts of the car are extremely overbuilt, door hardware especially. He approved of it, even though he never would have bought something like that himself.

ab348 · March 2020

Long-term car ownership usually brings some memories with it, hopefully good ones. When I originally bought the Cutlass in 1993 it was intended to be a DD, since at that time I already had my '64 Skylark convertible as a hobby/show car. I had enjoyed it enough that I figured I had no need for a modern DD since I lived downtown close to work, so the Cutlass would serve as a grocery getter and car for running occasional errands. I sold my GTI and bought it.

As I picked away at its issues I decided that it should be painted. Once that was done people really reacted to it strongly and told me I should not be driving it in winter and foul weather. Even when the weather was good I found I enjoyed driving it much more than the Skylark, so after 3 years I decided to sell the Buick and keep the Cutlass. My dad died in 1994 and it was the last car I drove with him in it alongside me, and perhaps the most memorable (not in a good way) thing with it and him was that it was the car I drove home around 3AM after he died in the hospital. It was odd because the streets were deserted at that hour and about halfway home I got tailed by a police cruiser all the way to my apartment garage, which I did not appreciate.

Since then there have been lots of good memories and it really has become a part of me, which makes the inevitable decision to sell it more difficult. But it will happen most likely in the next few years.

tjc78 · March 2020

Whenever I can I do want to replicate one of my cars I had earlier in life.

It's either going to be a late 80s Panther (most likely an 89 Town Car) or a 78-79 Continental.

I certainly wouldn't repeat my 93 Taurus or 98 Olds 88!

kyfdx · March 2020

I sort of want my ‘84 911 back. But, I’d get a sunroof coupe, instead of a targa. And, I’d upgrade to the 993 model from the mid-90s.

Hmmm.. I guess I don’t really want to replicate it. 😏

tjc78 · March 2020

Replicate in spirit at least!

stickguy · March 2020

Certainly if I replicated my Camaro it would not be a 6 cyl piwerglide with rotted out fenders and trunk floor. And the duster would be a 340 4 speed not slant 6 3 speed.

And definitely no more drum brakes!

texases · March 2020

stickguy said:
Certainly if I replicated my Camaro it would not be a 6 cyl piwerglide with rotted out fenders and trunk floor. And the duster would be a 340 4 speed not slant 6 3 speed.

And definitely no more drum brakes!

I was just thinking the same thing - mine were a rust bucket '65 Mustang with a 170 cid 6 (at least it had a 4 speed) and a same spec Duster as yours. I have thought about my '83 GTI, but that had all the crash protection of a beer can, I believe...

kyfdx · March 2020

We don’t need no stinkin’ airbags!

qbrozen · March 2020

I'd have another CJ7 in a heartbeat, if it were possible to get a good one for a reasonable price, which it isn't. I'd even take the I6 and 3-speed manual that I had. Only changes I'd like would be air con and a hardtop.

I even liked my '78 Zephyr with the I6 and 3-speed auto. Again, though, A/C would be a nice add.

#3 was an '87 4runner SR5 with the 22RE and 5-speed stick. I'd want that equipped exactly the same. Should never have given it up.

xwesx · March 2020

fintail said:
I have some history with this car. Good times in college, I even used it as my DD for about a year after I graduated (short commute), I've put some miles on it. It's a big sentimental object now.

Reading all these stories makes me realize just how uncommon it is to hang onto a "first car" (or at least early car) for a long time. More often than not, life just gets in the way.

I continue to keep and use both of my first vehicles ('69 Econoline and '69 C20). Even though it isn't necessarily the most practical thing to do, they are parts of my past that I have never even considered giving up.

fintail · March 2020

CL 20th century time:

Should be an easy relaxed drive

If you like dealing with having your car stolen, here you go

Well ahead of the market

Now that the lame 25 year rule is allowing more interesting material, small operations pop up

What we're dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law

Nice old truck for the money

I suppose every vehicle has devotees

Steering

Reminds me of a cartoon vehicle

G'day mate

Gold

Aero

Simple

0-60 = probably

Almost a "full Florida"

So 90s inside and out, I don't hate it

Impressive condition for mileage

Flashback to driver's ed

The first

Photo from 1992, maybe

Still in that decade

Speaking of blue

Kitty

ab348 · March 2020

I like the aero 4-4-2 but it needs a lot more pictures including the underside and especially the rear frame rails.

I had a Dodge Spirit rental for a few days in the early '90s and really liked it oddly enough. It felt different than the original K-car it was based on and much better to drive.

I despised the look of the 1st-gen RAV4. Still do.

GM sure didn't put much effort into changing the look of the front end when they introduced the Escalade.

tjc78 · March 2020

87 Ford Truck is really nice. Not my favorite color but well worth the asking.

Spirit. Such a simple car. Great winter beater. My stepbrother’s first car was 94 V6 red over red with the gold wheels. Ugh

Eldo swap out those awful hubcaps for the touring model wheels and you have something.

Vic I swear the half tops look worse on the whale Panthers than a full one. Mine was a full cloth top and while never my choice it didn’t look nearly as out of place.

kyfdx · March 2020

I like the 320i

The Aerostar seems overpriced by about $4000.

Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles