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

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  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    While searching for some photos to use for my daughter's college project I found these of dad's 78 Sedan DeVille d'elegance in stylish dark metallic brown. The interior was very comfy and quite nice.


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  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    edited October 2022

    Olds tried to adopt the Saturn one price and customer experience strategy. This is the window sticker when dad bought new, a 95 Cutlass Ciera. Quite different than his Cadillacs and Grand Marquis he just wanted something easier to park and it
    be well equipped and comfortable.

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    Above the B-pillar of the Sedan DeVille I think I spy a MB SLC.

    I am surprised button tufting hasn't came back. Makes me think of the non-parallel B-pillar Fleetwood an acquaintance of my dad had when I was a kid. I think the guy was a realtor or something, and wanted/needed a prestigious car. The car was light yellow with white top (I think) and matching button tufted leather. I remember riding in it for a small trip, and it felt very comfortable and special.

    I wonder if those late A-bodies could be haggled at the end of the run. Seems cheap, but a nicely equipped Camcord wasn't much more - not as plush I suppose. Going from a Fleetwood to a midsize Ciera makes me think of my uncle who drove a LeSabre for years and now has a Fit - and loves it, for the big/tall interior and ease of parking.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    fin, I answered a question on a Stude FB forum correctly, and it has a fintail tie-in, LOL.

    Club historian asked if anyone knew who sold the most Studebaker Avantis new? I first guessed Freeman-Spicer in South Bend, which was wrong. I subsequently guessed, among other guesses made by others, Simonson-Schactmeyer in Santa Monica, only in that it was southern CA and an elegant building. I know your fintail was from there, and also a gorgeously restored Jet Green '64 Gran Turismo Hawk that brought in the $50K's several years ago.

    I'm told I was right and asked if I had had 'inside information'! LOL

    No total number of cars was reported, so I asked the original poster that.

    Supposedly some Hollywood types who had bought them new had them serviced there as well (logical), including Greer Garson.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    My guess from buying GM's new for over 40 years is, those late A-bodies, like about everything else GM, could be haggled off sticker; I'll guess much more than camcords of the same era which didn't have much of an American look which was still important/relevant to some buyers then.

    Paying sticker always strikes me as distasteful, LOL. It looks like Equinoxes are bringing sticker now, yeesh. My wife loves hers and recently recommended one to a friend, but I just don't pay sticker!

    I know, now I would.
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  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,121
    The first wife and I bought an Accord LX in the spring of 1996 - she had her '93 Protege totalled in an accident and needed a car quickly.

    Fortunately, we lived in the greater LA area and every Friday the LA Times would have an entire section dedicated to automobile ads.

    The LX was, I think around $17K MSRP, but every dealer had a "one only at this price" special. Found a dealer fairly close to us, and their "one only" was the color the wife wanted (dark blue). We went out that night and made the deal - I think the discounted price was under $14K, so we added the CD player as a dealer accessory.

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    edited October 2022
    Kind of makes sense, as I am sure the Avanti had cachet enough to attract Hollywood types for awhile.

    That building might be the ultimate survivor and link in the Studebaker-Packard-MB relationship, still existing as a MB dealer to this day:



    Fintail's original owner registered the car to Beverly Hills, but I am not sure if that was a residential address - it isn't anymore. The car then lived in Manhattan Beach before apparently moving north. I have numerous old service documents and stamps from that dealer, along with Downtown LA Motors, which I am not sure if has any Packard/Stude link.

    fin, I answered a question on a Stude FB forum correctly, and it has a fintail tie-in, LOL.

    Club historian asked if anyone knew who sold the most Studebaker Avantis new? I first guessed Freeman-Spicer in South Bend, which was wrong. I subsequently guessed, among other guesses made by others, Simonson-Schactmeyer in Santa Monica, only in that it was southern CA and an elegant building. I know your fintail was from there, and also a gorgeously restored Jet Green '64 Gran Turismo Hawk that brought in the $50K's several years ago.

    I'm told I was right and asked if I had had 'inside information'! LOL

    No total number of cars was reported, so I asked the original poster that.

    Supposedly some Hollywood types who had bought them new had them serviced there as well (logical), including Greer Garson.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    I remember a good friend's family bought a new silver green Accord LX in 1992, I swear the sticker was 14-15K. They probably paid full sticker, as there was still demand vs supply on those cars then, I think.
    Michaell said:

    The first wife and I bought an Accord LX in the spring of 1996 - she had her '93 Protege totalled in an accident and needed a car quickly.

    Fortunately, we lived in the greater LA area and every Friday the LA Times would have an entire section dedicated to automobile ads.

    The LX was, I think around $17K MSRP, but every dealer had a "one only at this price" special. Found a dealer fairly close to us, and their "one only" was the color the wife wanted (dark blue). We went out that night and made the deal - I think the discounted price was under $14K, so we added the CD player as a dealer accessory.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096

    My guess from buying GM's new for over 40 years is, those late A-bodies, like about everything else GM, could be haggled off sticker; I'll guess much more than camcords of the same era which didn't have much of an American look which was still important/relevant to some buyers then.

    Paying sticker always strikes me as distasteful, LOL. It looks like Equinoxes are bringing sticker now, yeesh. My wife loves hers and recently recommended one to a friend, but I just don't pay sticker!

    I know, now I would.

    I suspect not being American and maybe the size of period Camcords might have turned off much of a demographic. However, I do remember a Pearl Harbor Survivor my dad knew had an Accord wagon, I clearly recall the plates on the car.

    It'll be something to see if deals way under sticker as was common in the past will return.
  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    @andre1969 , Adam of Rare Classic Cars and History did a R body review. At the end there is a car that I think is one like your 5th Ave.

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  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,121
    fintail said:

    I remember a good friend's family bought a new silver green Accord LX in 1992, I swear the sticker was 14-15K. They probably paid full sticker, as there was still demand vs supply on those cars then, I think.

    Upon further reflection, the Accord we bought was in 1992, not 1996. It was the end of the run for the 3rd generation.

    We split up shortly after that and I moved to Denver, where I picked up a '93 Accord DX.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    That Santa Monica dealer building is beautiful. I would've enjoyed shopping 1963-64 Studebakers there!

    Here's a couple of 1973 Chevy Colonnades at Hershey that brought back memories. I was quite enamored of the line then. The SS454 wagon is stupidly rare. The Monte has swivel buckets, the only formal GM Colonnade in '73 to get them. Good to help get in the back seat but I think hard to live with otherwise--they are a one-piece seat.




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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    edited October 2022
    D'oh, that reminds me, I forgot to post that pic!

    That's Uplanderguy, Lemko, and me...I'll let y'all guess who's who :p
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022

    Absolute pleasure to meet Andy, Mike, and Greg! Hope we can do it next year!

    The men behind our Edmunds aliases! 😀

    That red Riviera is my friend Bob’s. I rode in with him and it was a bit surreal…like a parade. Felt like doing a ‘Queen wave’ a couple times!

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  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    edited October 2022

    Digging thru some photos and boy do I have many, I found these. A glamour shot of my 89 Seville in front of a previous neighborhood club house. The 73 Grand Am sporting Dweezel the terror cat. You can see the rear of the 72 Corona Mark II which was later totaled by my youngest sister. I repainted mom's 78 98 in 82. I used an acrylic lacquer, wet sanded and


    polished to a wonderful shine. Unfortunately I can't find a picture of the final result.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056

    You had some interesting cars. I like that Seville better now than I did then. Nice size and lines, and not an imitation of anything. And four-door Grand Ams were not seen where I lived.

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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029

    Absolute pleasure to meet Andy, Mike, and Greg! Hope we can do it next year!

    The men behind our Edmunds aliases! 😀

    That red Riviera is my friend Bob’s. I rode in with him and it was a bit surreal…like a parade. Felt like doing a ‘Queen wave’ a couple times!

    I hope you guys gave Lemko some stick for abandoning us here. He needs to start posting again, at least occasionally.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    Agree, Greg. I almost always agreed with his posts, and even if I didn't, I enjoyed them!

    Since no one's guessed yet, that's Lemko (Mike) at left, Andre (Andy) center, and Uplanderguy (Bill) at right.

    GRBeck (Greg) preferred to take the pic instead of being in it. He was a very nice guy too!
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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    Is the wheeltrim on the wagon stock? Not sure I've ever noticed that style before.

    That Santa Monica dealer building is beautiful. I would've enjoyed shopping 1963-64 Studebakers there!

    Here's a couple of 1973 Chevy Colonnades at Hershey that brought back memories. I was quite enamored of the line then. The SS454 wagon is stupidly rare. The Monte has swivel buckets, the only formal GM Colonnade in '73 to get them. Good to help get in the back seat but I think hard to live with otherwise--they are a one-piece seat.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    I've always thought that generation was peak Accord. Something very BMW about the airy greenhouse, amazingly smooth (for the era) engines, high build quality - at least out west, they didn't rust. I can see why people were won over.
    Michaell said:

    fintail said:

    I remember a good friend's family bought a new silver green Accord LX in 1992, I swear the sticker was 14-15K. They probably paid full sticker, as there was still demand vs supply on those cars then, I think.

    Upon further reflection, the Accord we bought was in 1992, not 1996. It was the end of the run for the 3rd generation.

    We split up shortly after that and I moved to Denver, where I picked up a '93 Accord DX.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    Is the wheeltrim on the wagon stock? Not sure I've ever noticed that style before.

    Yes, that's the Turbine wheel. All SS wagons had those wheels. It was also available on Chevelle coupes and sedans, but rarely seen. It took me years to realize that they are a different design than the Turbine wheels on the Monte Carlo Landau, right above. Too lazy to check, but I think I remember that the one style was called "Turbine" and the other, "Turbine I".
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    andre, did you see those two very similar '60 Dodge Matadors? I didn't look close at them but they looked identical from where I was. I thought you'd have liked them for sure!
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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I saw one of the blue Matadors, I remember that much, but I don't think I saw them both. Or if I did, it didn't register with me that it was two different cars!

    Lemko mentioned something about having problems getting into the Edmund's chat forums, ever since the last time they reconfigured it. He's popped in every once in awhile, though.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056

    The Matadors were parked right next to each other.

    I don’t think I was seeing double yet. I did have a Yuengling pint after the show though.

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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    Really?! For some reason, I only remember seeing one. And I didn't hit the booze until I got back to Maryland :p I'm wondering if one of them caught my eye, but then something else grabbed my attention, and that's why I didn't notice the second, for whatever reason.

    Lemko snagged a pic of one of them. I'm in the background, and for whatever reason, look like I'm paying more attention to that Falcon!

  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029
    fintail said:

    Is the wheeltrim on the wagon stock? Not sure I've ever noticed that style before.

    There's a story on that exact car here (because I can't imagine GM made more than one beige version that still survives):
    https://jackbaruth.com/?p=23449&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=unicorn-sighting-1973-chevrolet-chevelle-ss-station-wagon

    I could have sworn we discussed it here a while ago.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    Definitely the same car.

    My best high-school friend had a bright green metallic '73 Chevelle SS coupe he bought in '78. I pored over the brochure then, and also had the '73 Showroom Album (given me at the end of the year by my Dad's salesman there, Dick Kremis). The chromed beading around that upper instrument cluster was new for '74 on Chevelles and Monte Carlos, along with that panel being color-keyed instead of black on all interior colors.. This '73 SS wagon had the black cluster but the bright beading around it. I asked the owner where about the car was in production as I didn't remember that beading being on '73's (I was polite). He said, "I paid a guy $600 to do that chroming for me!". If I owned the car, I'd have to take it off somehow for authenticity, LOL.

    Wagons seem to have not been available with white-lettered tires, but they do look better--whitewalls on an SS look dumb. I'd leave it that way.

    I don't love the color 'Chamois', but there are so few others to look at. I've seen a maroon one online, with whitewalls, that had been bought new by the owner's parents at Gates Chevy in downtown South Bend, right in the middle of the bones of the old Studebaker factory complex. It wasn't a 454 car like this one though.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    There's only one '60 Matador in that pic. Where I noticed two was in the afternoon, coming back from buying water at the Chick-Fil-A stand at the far-end of Sixth Avenue (from where we were). Maybe it was heat stroke, LOL. They were parked right by each other.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    Looked at the '73 Chevelle and Monte Carlo brochures. The Chevelle's wheels were called "Turbine I" and the Monte Carlo's, "Turbine II".
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  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    I probably missed a few details....

    Where/what was this show that generated all the recent pics, and what is the story behind the fire extinguishers in front of the front left tires?
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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    This was the annual AACA car show at Hershey, PA. It has a swap meet that lasts a few days, and normally the car show would be on a Saturday. But, this season, Hershey Park decided to start staying open weekends, through Halloween I'm guessing, so they wanted their parking lot back. And while the show is out on this grassy field, the car corral and vendors and such are in the parking lot. I never noticed the fire extinguishers being displayed so prominently in the past, but maybe this year it was a requirement. Which reminds me, I probably need to get a new one, myself. Don't extinguishers often go bad after so many years? I have one, but to be honest, I forget which car it's in now...the Catalina I think. I try to swap it into whatever car I'm taking to a show, but I've gotten a bit lazy in that regard.

    I'm not an AACA member, so I've never put a car in this show. These cars tend to be the cream of the crop, too, so they'd probably look down through their noses at most of mine!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    That color on the '73 SS wagon wouldn't be my first choice, but I think it looks nice in the sunlight. And the darker trim on the lower part sets it off nicely.

    As for those swivel seats in the Colonades, they're a neat feature, but I sat in one years ago that was for sale at one of the Carlisle swap meets. Definitely not comfortable, in my opinion. The way the lower part is shaped, puts me into a bit of a slouching position. And unless you're umm, well padded back there, it's not easy on the tailbone. I actually find the regular solid bench seat, with fold-down center armrest, like what my LeMans has, to be really comfortable. It's thickly padded, and supports my lower back in just the right spot. I actually find the LeMans's seat to be more comfortable than the one in my '79 5th Ave.

    Could you get those swivel seats with a power adjust? I have a feeling you couldn't.

    That SS wagon just has a solid bench and not even an armrest, but even it looks like it's still thickly padded, and the backrest bows out at just the right spot...
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022

    A stranger on social media sent me this pic he took Friday, of us pulling in. He posted a pic of the turquoise Avanti that was next to us, on a Studebaker FB page. I told him that the car was next to my friend’s red Riviera and he sent me this pic. Nice pic.

    AACA requires a fire extinguisher be displayed, for a car to be judged. Studebaker Drivers Club also requires that for judging.

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  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    That car is beautiful

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    ab348 said:

    fintail said:

    Is the wheeltrim on the wagon stock? Not sure I've ever noticed that style before.

    There's a story on that exact car here (because I can't imagine GM made more than one beige version that still survives):
    https://jackbaruth.com/?p=23449&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=unicorn-sighting-1973-chevrolet-chevelle-ss-station-wagon

    I could have sworn we discussed it here a while ago.
    The car does seem to ring a bell, article is new to me. Really makes me think I've never noticed those wheels.

    Interesting pics, with the Mark V beside it - when I was a kid, there was one in town in that exact color combo, and I swear it was an actual convertible conversion.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056

    I usually tire of red, but that red on red really pops.

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  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,256
    On my street a bright yellow C3 Corvette convertible, Gen 4 red with black top Camaro, red C8 Corvette.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    The swivel seats (not available on the SS wagon) were not available with any kind of power assist.

    A bench seat of the '70's that I remember being able to feel lower-back support was these Malibu Classic seats of '74-77. My friend's parents had a '76 sedan and you could feel that lower tuck-and-roll section1975_Chevrolet_Chevelle_Rev-04-05
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    A couple things about my buddy's Riviera. I'm into this stuff far-more than he is, but he has a couple pieces of original selling paperwork. The car was sold new in tiny Miller, SD--population 1,366 in 2020. On the '...Dealership' FB page, in response to a request I had of a pic of the dealer, someone posted one from Miller's Historical Society. Small Chev-Buick-Cadillac dealer with pumps out front, at least in that 1959 photo. I gotta wonder if this might be the only '63 Riviera he got in/sold.

    Anyway, googling the names of the original owners of the car revealed he was born in 1891 (!), was a pharmacist and owner of the drug store, and his son became a South Dakota state representative.

    I love the filling out of the stories of an old car.
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  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    When I was in HS a friend had a 74 Classic coupe, dark metallic blue with lighter color landau style vinyl top and that same blue interior. I thought the interior was very nice and the front seat was comfortable. The ribbed fabric felt nice to the touch. His had the 400, a/c, AM/FM radio, full wheel covers, whitewalls and the bumper rubber strip option.

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  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    That pic I posted of the '60 Dodge Matador, that Lemko took, reminded me, of just how much better built, in many respects, the '60 Mopars were compared to '57-59. With the hood up, you can see all the bracing underneath to give it more rigidity.

    For comparison, here's a '57 DeSoto...

    They did put a bit more effort into the trunk, though...
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    I see your point.

    Somewhat on a similar subject--it's easy to bag on '61 Plymouths, I do it myself, but I'd take one over a '60. I cannot get past how that front wheel opening is handled!
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    Spotted at lunchtime in Kent today--'72 Chevelle Malibu convertible.

    Nice, original-looking car, EXCEPT: where are the head restraints? Huge demerit!


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  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    I may have mentioned this, someone in the parking garage at work has several interesting cars, he's been driving a '71 442 pretty often, don't know if it's real, looks like this:

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I think the '60 and '61 Plymouth are cool today, simply BECAUSE they're so weird/ugly, but good lord, it must have been hard to be a Plymouth dealer in '60-61. I used to theorize that they made them that way on purpose, so that buyers would spend a few bucks more on a Dart instead! Or, at the Chrysler-Plymouth dealer, it might have made buyers want to move up to a Windsor or Newport.

    In 1961 especially, I think the Fords and Chevies are so beautifully styled, that a full-sized Plymouth must have been a really hard sell.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    It was too far off in the distance to get a picture, or even a good look at it but I spotted what I'm pretty sure was a Packard Carribean convertible. it looked white on the top, dark gray on the bottom, and sort of pinkish in the middle.

    Basically, like this...
    I've seen a Carribean in the neighborhood before, so it probably was the same car. At least, I can't imagine too many mid-50's convertibles in a similar color scheme, in the same neighborhood.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    edited October 2022
    In '56, like the one pictured ('55 very similar other than over the headlights wasn't so far forward, for lack of a better way to say it), only 276 of those convertibles were made. My hometown dealer sold one. It was 18 from the last convertible serial no. My friend the dealer (well, dealer's son at that point) went with their head mechanic to the docks at Cleveland to pick it up. That was a $6K car then. The mechanic, now 91, still talks about that day as "the first time I ever ate frog legs" (in Cleveland).

    You'd think that with 276 built, each one would've been an easy sell, but I remember reading some remained unsold into 1957. This one was built for factory stock. A local doctor traded in a '55 Thunderbird on it.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    After the '56, I think the '61 Starliner is my next-favorite Ford.
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  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    At the Packard proving grounds outside of Detroit, they have a convertible just like the one in front of the dealership. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit at the proving grounds as much as the Henry Ford Museum.

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  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    I would have liked to have more time when we were in Detroit. A full day on Henry Ford probably wouldn't be sufficient, but a half day was just a travesty. Also, no time for other attractions like the Packard proving grounds.
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