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

andre1969 · October 2022

It would actually shine up pretty nice, it just has about 6 years worth of dust and grime on it. However, the paint is pretty bad on the rear passenger door, like it was repainted poorly or something. And the filler panel on the back is worn down to practically white, and getting brittle. I'd like to bring it back to its former glory, but realistically, I'm just keeping it around as a parts car for the other one, if the need arises.

The interior is just the base cloth, which also has some vinyl trim...in just the right spots so that it would still burn you on a hot summer day!

fintail · October 2022

That one begs for the "malaise motors" page.

uplanderguy · October 2022

I don't love behemoths, generally, but to me this is the last great Cadillac behemoth....1972 Fleetwood Sixty-Special Brougham. "Call for Price", ugh.

https://www.pedigreemotorcars.com/vehicles/364/1972-cadillac-fleetwood-brougham?fbclid=IwAR3Uh9FVUS804tk_CogO2HbVzCYEi10DtVrfYG9CM8zhcLgMWMn3cPAkYUE

stickguy · October 2022

I just can't imagine ever using something that huge as a daily driver. Though I guess people do it with jumbo pick ups now. But it must be a huge pain to take into parking lots, etc.

andre1969 · October 2022

I prefer the cheaper DeVille models, because I like a true hardtop, but that Fleetwood is nice. I especially like the color. Oddly, as big as the Cadillacs were, and the Fleetwoods were longer than a DeVille, I believe there were some years in that '71-76 era that the Electra was slightly longer than the Devilles, and within a hair of the Fleetwood!

One thing I had never really thought about before, but I wonder if the Fleetwood used the same back door as the DeVille? It looks like they just slipped that extra wheelbase right in the middle, when they put in the B-pillar. Starting in '73, they extended the front door sheetmetal back, so it eliminated that little spacer between the two doors, but I think they left the back door the same. The shape of the window itself is certainly different from the DeVille, but I wonder if it's the same door?

As for the length, that Fleetwood is within an inch of my 2012 Ram. 230.4" vs 231.0" for my Ram, if the internet is to be believed. It's not bad as a daily driver, and about the only times I get annoyed are when I have to park it in a tight spot, and when I have to take it to the gas station. I imagine the Ram is actually worse for parking, because of the way it sits up, and the way the front is rounded off, it's harder to judge the corners. As far as gas station aggravation, I imagine the Fleetwood would be like "Hold mah beer and watch THIS!" And suddenly the Ram would feel almost Prius-like, when it comes to refueling!

uplanderguy · October 2022

I wouldn't be surprised if the door is the same as a Sedan deVille, but I know the glass isn't.

People disagree (OK of course), but I like the retro space between the doors--'40's (and older) throwback. I also like the individual "FLEETWOOD" lettering on the front fenders and decklid. Both went away for '73. I always liked those three-section seat backs with just the lower third in leather; unique I think.

I like the '71 deVille's brushed-metal trim on the dash and doors, but I don't believe that even lasted the whole year before fake wood was phased in.

Among Cadillacs, just because they're different and far-rarer, I even like the Calais models.

uplanderguy · October 2022

andre, check your PM's.

uplanderguy · October 2022

RE.: Cadillacs--our hometown Chevy dealer, where my grandfather, my Dad, and I bought new cars, was also the Cadillac dealer, although the cars seemed few and far-between there. I believe they usually did not stock Cadillacs but sold them on order primarily.

For some reason, there was always magic to me in that "FLEETWOOD" name. I loved the lettering on the lower front fenders; the wide rocker trim and lack of a body side molding (through '69) on the middle of the sides; and the interiors. But I can remember only two '71-76 era Fleetwoods in our town. One was the owner of the Sinclair station on the western outskirts--a cranky junkyard owner who lived above the station--and the bailbondsman in town who had a '74 Talisman.

uplanderguy · October 2022

A woman, Helen Swanson, was the original owner of that '72 Fleetwood for sale. Hard to imagine.

sda · October 2022

uplanderguy said:
I don't love behemoths, generally, but to me this is the last great Cadillac behemoth....1972 Fleetwood Sixty-Special Brougham. "Call for Price", ugh.

https://www.pedigreemotorcars.com/vehicles/364/1972-cadillac-fleetwood-brougham?fbclid=IwAR3Uh9FVUS804tk_CogO2HbVzCYEi10DtVrfYG9CM8zhcLgMWMn3cPAkYUE

That is super nice and really like the color combination. I think the only option missing is the electric sunroof.

uplanderguy · October 2022

I gotta say, I talk about liking the space between the doors as a retro thing, but I will say it adds the look of an extra seam and normally I p*** and moan about that!

uplanderguy · October 2022

Googled 'Helen Swanson, Pittsburgh, PA' and this 2006 death notice came up....'respected real estate executive'--I feel this is almost certainly her:

https://www.beinhauer.com/memorials/helen-swanson/212963/obituary.php

fintail · October 2022

Call for price - we're embarrassed to show how overpriced it is, maybe? Although the Talismans on their inventory page aren't too insane, and their old MBs aren't wild either.

Nice car, I will guess 30K range. I think that space between the doors was meant to emulate the 1938+ 60 Special.

uplanderguy said:
I don't love behemoths, generally, but to me this is the last great Cadillac behemoth....1972 Fleetwood Sixty-Special Brougham. "Call for Price", ugh.

https://www.pedigreemotorcars.com/vehicles/364/1972-cadillac-fleetwood-brougham?fbclid=IwAR3Uh9FVUS804tk_CogO2HbVzCYEi10DtVrfYG9CM8zhcLgMWMn3cPAkYUE

ab348 · October 2022

I like the paint color on that Caddy, but the black interior is unfortunate. Noted a small tear in the driver’s door armrest.

Late last week, a ‘78 “canary” Seville with reasonable miles and in what seemed to be nice used but not creampuff condition sold on BaT for a surprisingly low $8K.

tjc78 · October 2022

I think I’d rather have black interior in that than a green that wouldn’t be an exact match.

Nice details on that Fleetwood. The dual stripe tires set it off nicely and are period correct I believe.

texases · October 2022

tjc78 said:
I think I’d rather have black interior in that than a green that wouldn’t be an exact match.

Nice details on that Fleetwood. The dual stripe tires set it off nicely and are period correct I believe.

I've seen lots of old green interior where the shades don't match in the interior and the paint. Something about green, it seems.

andre1969 · October 2022

I'm not a huge fan of the black interior either, but yeah, I'd rather have black than a green that clashes. Now if it was just the right shade of green, it would be exquisite, but in those days, the auto makers had a knack for not doing that.

uplanderguy · October 2022

I really can't remember the green interiors Caddy used then, but I do remember that the other divisions used what to me was an unfortunate olive green color in the '71 and '72 model years. In '73 they used a darker forest green which looked a lot better to me.

andre1969 · October 2022

Green certainly is a funny color, in that, to me at least, it seems to be "just right" when you match up the interior and exterior. Other colors like blue or red seem much more forgiving. Although, I guess once red starts getting too far into the orange spectrum, you're better off just going with black or white.

With blue, it seems like it just gets lighter or darker, although sometimes they'll mix in a little gray. But with green, it seems like they'll often mix in a bit of yellow, or blue, rather than just making it lighter or darker, and it can be hard to match the interior just right.

The only car I ever owned that I'd consider "green" was my '82 Cutlass Supreme, in light jadestone. Its interior was a really nice match, in my opinion. And to me, it was one of those "not a true green" colors, because to me it seemed a pale, silvery, bluish-green.

My grandparents' '72 Impala was Sequoia, and the interior was a lighter green that I guess you could call "olive". I thought it contrasted fairly well. But to me, this "Brewster Green" of that '72 Fleetwood seems like it has a bit of blue in it, whereas I think of olive as having a bit of yellow infused, and to me that comes off as clashy.

My Mom and stepdad have an '08 Altima thats' a somewhat pale green. I don't know what name the marketing agency conjured up, but I call it "sage" green, and it makes me think of those light greens that were common in the late 60's early 70's. However, by this time I'd imagine the concept of a green interior was gone with the wind, so it's just beige. Still, it's a pleasant combination.

sda · October 2022

When dad was having repairs done to his Eldorado, the Olds/Cad dealer provided an 82 base Cutlass Supreme in light jadestone with similar color cloth interior. It was a pleasant color combination and a nice driving, comfortable car.

uplanderguy · October 2022

The favorite green car in our family, so far as color, was that military dark green metallic on our 1980 Monte Carlo that was a one-year-only color. Closest thing I've ever seen to it is on a Camry of maybe eight or ten years ago.

I did like the dark and light jades (Chevy left the '...stone' off at the end I'm pretty sure, LOL) that came out in '81 and continued into '82. I liked the matching interior too. A friend used to say my two-tone light over dark jade metallic '81 Monte Carlo reminded him of 'spruce'.

andre1969 · October 2022

I think I started calling it "jadestone" because years ago, a friend of mine had an '82 Bonneville G, and he called its color "Jadestone". So at first I thought it might have just been me, who was tacking the "-stone" on out of habit. But I just checked an '82 Cutlass brochure and yep, they tack on the "-stone" as well

And, to my eye, "spruce" green seems to have a touch of blue (plus there's the Blue Spruce tree) in it, so I could see the similarity to the jade.

texases · October 2022

My '72 Duster was green with a white painted top, white seats, and the rest of the interior black. Looked good without having to have an all black interior.

sda · October 2022

@andre1969 Like this?

ab348 · October 2022

I've told this story here before, but my oldest brother had his first Ranger pickup for a number of years and after a time the wheels began to look shabby so he decided to repaint them. He went to Canadian Tire and checked out their color-match factory paint rattle cans for an appropriate metallic gray that would come close. Unfortunately he could not bring in one of the wheels to compare to the sample colors on the caps of the cans. Even more unfortunately he is colorblind to certain shades like I am. He ended up buying several cans of GM Light Jadestone and refinishing the wheels. When he visited for the first time after doing it even I could tell they were more greenish than gray. Unfortunately his wife had already told him that. Given that the Ranger was painted red, it looked almost festive.

uplanderguy · October 2022

RE.: That Cutlass--those rocker and sill moldings would be a required option for me; they really dress the car up I think.

I'd say that car's been painted--the C-pillar nameplate looks much too high, an enormous pet peeve of mine from body shops--measure, and/or take a pic before you take that stuff off, for gosh sakes! Easy to get right, almost impossible to correct afterwards.

On my monitor, the Cutlass interior looks gray as opposed to Jadestone to me.

At Chevy, so I assume also at B,O,P, the '82 Dark Jade (exterior) was notably darker than the '81.

andre1969 · October 2022

sda said:
@andre1969 Like this?

Yep, that looks vaguely familiar! I have a couple pics of my old Cutlass, somewhere. Only one I can think of that I have digitally is this one...

This was around February of 1994, when I lined up the cars, and got up on the roof of Grandmom's garage and took a picture. Thel landau roof looks almost white in this picture, but it was jadestone, the same color as the rest of the car. It also had color-keyed rally wheels.

sda · October 2022

I agree with your observations. I really dislike when emblems, trim is put in the wrong place and would prefer that it be left off if it can't be installed correctly.

andre1969 · October 2022

If you really zoom in on my pic above, you can barely make out where it says "Cutlass Supreme" on the C-pillar and yeah, it definitely looks lower. I'm pretty sure mine was original too, considering it was only 12 model years old when I took that pic...and it was in need of a repaint, at the time! The sides still looked good, but the hood, roof, and trunk were faded.

As for the color though, I'm thinking the one SDA posted just looks more washed out and gray because of the bright sunlight in the picture?

sda · October 2022

That color along with silver didn't seem to last very long without fading and peeling. I repainted mom's silver 78 Olds 98 in 82 as the paint was dull and was peeling in places.

fintail · October 2022

Blue Geo Metro convertible showed up at work. I strongly suspect it is owned by the same person who has other oddballs (Crossfire cabrio, Cobalt SS) - I never see them together. Also saw a Checker on the road, Tercel 4x4 wagon, teenaged looking guy in a maybe 68-70 Riviera, 80s Toyota 4x4.

stickguy · October 2022

out driving Saturday, a lime green early 70s Dart Demon (the rounded back one using the Duster body). and a 1970ish Econoline with a period pop up camper top. paint looked like it could be original (at least older respray) but seemed clean.

tjc78 · October 2022

Let’s play name the price. Sold at Mecum recently. Looks repainted but otherwise factory fresh.

stickguy · October 2022

$18,000

uplanderguy · October 2022

I’ll guess $19.5k. Yeesh that front added piece is ick. I’ll guess it would have gone a little higher if it were a ‘76.

tjc78 · October 2022

Both high

uplanderguy · October 2022

At Hershey probably five or six years ago, in the car corral, a friend and I were both surprised how reasonable nice ‘71 to ‘76 Cadillacs, mostly deVilles of course, were going for (marked asking prices). There was quite a selection of them too.

tjc78 · October 2022

Price was 13K. I’d rock it at that price.

andre1969 · October 2022

Years ago, I remember seeing a '75 Electra Limited 4-door hardtop sitting for sale, in the parking lot at a shopping mall. This had to have been in early 2001, because I remember it being before I had my '79 5th Ave, which I got October of that year. Anyway, it was a rainy day, and I know that can sometimes hide some flaws. But, I do remember its black paint looked nice and shiny, water beading up, and it looked rust free. It was missing the end caps for the rear fenders. Interior was that overly-stuffed red velour and, while not showroom new, looked presentable.

Price, at the time, was a reasonable $1300-1400. Looking back, now I kinda wish I'd bought it! I have a picture of it, floating around somewhere, but it was before cell phones, so it's probably on a backup disk somewhere.

For the longest time, I was thinking that even the nicest example of something like this shouldn't be worth more than $5-6K, but I imagine people are asking that for junk, these days. There was a '76 Electra 4 door hardtop for sale at Fall Carlisle last year, and I think it was around $5K asking.

It wasn't bad, at a quick glance, but the paint was faded, and it was just a base model. Offhand, I can't remember what kind of condition the interior was in. I don't think it was trashed, but wasn't pristine, either.

andre1969 · October 2022

On the subject of GM's big '71-76 cars, if I had to narrow it down to just one dream barge, I think a '76 Electra 4-door hardtop would be it. But, I'd want a nicer one, like a Limited or Park Avenue. Although, I dunno...if I could've gotten that '76 I posted above, for say $3000 or a bit less, I could learn to love it. I mean, I've brought worse things home

explorerx4 · October 2022

This drove around with the 'camper shell' removed the times I'd seen it before this.

texases · October 2022

That reminds me, I saw a first-gen Bronco in traffic yesterday, looked to be in good shape.

fintail · October 2022

On the road today - the same Checker I saw not long ago, white Reatta, 60s Dodge Scooby Doo van in kind of a 70s custom scheme with custom paint and jacked up in the back.

sda · October 2022

Last Thursday an immaculate red, with top down, driver enjoying wonderful weather, Fiat 124.

explorerx4 · October 2022

Went to the county recycling location today to drop off some motor oil and some electronic components.
Saw this just before I got there.
Was going to take more pics of other areas in the yard but phone suddenly died. I need a new one.

fintail · October 2022

Quite a yard there, at least a few prewar cars visible.

texases · October 2022

Surprised to see such old iron still around.

explorerx4 · October 2022

There were 3 cars close to the fence that I wanted to take a pic of but my phone crapped out. One or two had Super Eight on the hood or fender trim.

uplanderguy · October 2022

Just back from Hershey. It's absolutely indescribable. Show weather was perfect Friday and for the first time I rode with a friend in his '63 Riviera entered in the show. Also met 'andre' (Andy), 'lemko' (Mike), and 'grbeck' (Greg) there for the first time. Very nice guys and a fun time.

Too many cars to list, but I was in love with a Honduras Maroon '62 Corvette hardtop, a maroon with beige top '73 Monte Carlo Landau, a Chamois '73 Chevelle SS454 wagon (what a unicorn!), an Avanti Red '64 Avanti supercharged with 4-speed (owned by a guy I know), a coppery-metallic '65 Impala Sport Coupe with 283 and Powerglide driven by its original owner, a '56 solid black Crown Victoria, and a bright coppery metallic '73 Century Gran Sport Stage I with white bucket interior and 4-speed. Took pics of all those but the Buick. All were showroom-fresh and original/authentic looking, high on my list.

tjc78 · October 2022

That sounds like it was a wonderful time!

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

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