Mystery car pix

fintail · October 2023

ab348 said:

fintail said:
Another one I don't recall if shared before. One car in particular (along with the weather) makes me think this could be in Canada, but I see no other supporting evidence.
I don't think it is Canada because the '59 Pontiac seems to have the wide front tread one found on US Pontiacs and not the skinny tread used on Canadian Cheviacs.

Maybe Detroit area then - awful lot of late model cars in the pic, which would be usual for that area.

andys120 · October 2023

-Click to enlarge-

I'll call the white Triumph TR-4/TR-4A in the middle of pic.

explorerx4 · October 2023

Saab wagon to the right of the red Bug and a park ranger.

stickguy · October 2023

Peugout wagon in the front next to a black Chrysler (Imperial I assume).

and in the center a Triumph TR4 of some sort. I really like those.

tmart · October 2023

Ford Country Squire, 1st gen Mustang, VW bug and two VW vans.

fintail · October 2023

Cool pic, like a car show for everyday cars.

Red wagon with roof rack behind the Peugeot I believe an early Corolla, with a Riviera to the right and a Datsun 510 sedan to the right of that.

At upper right is a fuselage wagon and the oldie of the group, giving me a just-prewar Mopar or maybe GM vibe (I am certain it is not a Ford) - the stance of it makes me think it is not a postwar car of the same design, somehow.

Topmost area is a Dodge pickup with what looks like an early Volvo brick wagon beside it. Squire looks like a Fairlane.

andys120 · October 2023

magnette · October 2023

@andys120

That is an early Lancia Appia - they introduced the model in about 1952 I think and that registration plate was issued in Middlesex in late 1955

andys120 · October 2023

IKt's not an Appia, the mainstream Lancia sedan in the 50s, it's a Lancia Aurelia B12 Berlina, one of the most technically advanced cars of the fifties, powered by the first production V6. It had a rear-mount transaxle and other cool features>

ab348 · October 2023

Looks safe.

magnette · October 2023

No cigar there then...

andys120 · October 2023

stickguy · October 2023

Jeep Wagoneer. looks like a later one? They made those forever. I will guess 1985

explorerx4 · October 2023

1987 I cheated and got lucky.

stickguy · October 2023

I finally blew up the picture to read the badge, and it's a grand Wagoneer too.

texases · October 2023

They started calling them Grand Wagoneer when they brought out the baby (XJ) Wagoneer.

stickguy · October 2023

I had completely forgotten they branded some of the XJ Cherokees as Wagoneers.

texases · October 2023

Yeah, I never see them, while old XJ Cherokees are still around. Lots more of them made.

fintail · October 2023

Big Chet Ripley vibes from the Grand Wagoneer:

And on a Halloween note, there's an XJ Wagoneer in a fairly prominent role in "The Burbs":

stickguy · October 2023

I always liked the XJ. Kinda thought it would be neat to have a 4 liter with a 5 speed. Not sure why. Or a nice Comanche. those were always cool.

texases · October 2023

We had a Cherokee Chief, ‘84, through 1995 in Anchorage. Great for there. Just wish the 4.0 had been available. We had the 2.5 with the manual. No speed demon.

ab348 · November 2023

Funny the things you remember - in the mid-'70s when Dad bought his '75 Hornet Sportabout, the AMC dealer had a line of new models parked out front on display, including a Wagoneer. I remember strolling down the line looking at them, and discovered the Wagoneer had a multi-piece hood. I don't know if it was the raised air intake section at the center that was separate or (more likely) the flat piece at the front under the opening for the scoop, but there were two sections bolted together, and the factory had forgotten the fastener on one side, so the two things would move around quite freely. AMC quality control missed that.

sda · November 2023

My sister had an 87 Honda Civic 4dr, 5sp with A/C. On the center of the steering wheel Power Steering was spelled out. The car did not have power steering. A quality control miss which I found amusing.

kyfdx · November 2023

Back in the '80s, they would put anything on the rear deck to tell you what amazing options the vehicle might have.

Cavalier: ABS
Accord: 5-speed

tjc78 · November 2023

GM was notorious for putting an ABS badge on nearly everything for awhile.

fintail · November 2023

"Fuel Injection" as well in the mid-late 80s (not just the "i" badges of Honda, but GM in particular used the FI badges in the 80s, IIRC)(.

I remember ABS was a big deal - before around 1990 mostly the purview of expensive German cars. I can almost see why GM used the badging, distinguish a maybe otherwise unremarkable car. I am surprised some marketing dork didn't also try to put "airbag" badges on a car.

I remember back around 1995-96, riding with a friend in his mom's hard loaded 90-91 Taurus LX wagon (now a very rare car esp in that spec), and he joked something along the lines of "living on the edge - only one airbag and no ABS" (he drove a 69 Nova and I had the fintail by then, so it was a joke)

tjc78 · November 2023

I would imagine that Taurus LX models represented less than 20% of total production.

I know when I had my 93 LX it wasn’t often I saw another one. I think the only options I was missing were auto temp control and cornering lamps. I don’t believe digital dash was available 92+

fintail · November 2023

tjc78 said:
I would imagine that Taurus LX models represented less than 20% of total production.

I know when I had my 93 LX it wasn’t often I saw another one. I think the only options I was missing were auto temp control and cornering lamps. I don’t believe digital dash was available 92+

My mom had a 93 GL, which of course lacked all of that stuff, but was fine for its day. I remember it had the slight upgrade (?) flat face wheels with directional spokes, very 90s. White on blue, I thought it was sharp and modern at the time. A headgasket did it in at ~80K miles, my mom was not pleased, cut her losses and went to Toyota.

I remember my friend's mom's car had leather and digital dash, which had a primitive trip computer - we'd drive around with the AC on to see how close to zero we could get on the mpg readout. Dark blue on grey - a once not uncommon car that is now virtually extinct.

That car was replaced by a T&C in late 1996, probably a fleet deal as I remember his dad had a Concorde as a company car, replaced in 1999 by a 300M.

andys120 · November 2023

Nearly every current vehicle has AWD and a badge that says so. Sometimes it says "4WD" or uses a proprietary name like "Intermatic" or " X Drive."

kyfdx · November 2023

SkyActiv!!

xwesx · November 2023

ab348 said:
AMC quality control missed that.

I'm pretty sure they let that department go by that point.

texases · November 2023

xwesx said:

ab348 said:
AMC quality control missed that.
I'm pretty sure they let that department go by that point.

Here's what it looked like by then, I see quite a bit of Hornet in the grill:

fintail · November 2023

101 near Torrey Pines Beach State Beach, 1961 - zooms ok:

tmart · November 2023

Two 59 Fords, one is a Sunliner.

sda · November 2023

Mom had an 87 Taurus LX with this red interior, though not faded. The exterior color combination and wheels were the same as this poor car. Her car was optioned somewhat unusually. It had all power, including sunroof, the enhanced stereo/cassette, cornering lights. It had the standard gauge cluster, standard ac, and no driver door remote keypad. The 3.0 Vulcan was reliable, thrifty but coarse. She drove it for around 10 years and was replaced with a 98 Aurora with sunroof, most options, Autobahn suspension.

andys120 · November 2023

fintail said:
101 near Torrey Pines Beach State Beach, 1961 - zooms ok:

1960 Chrysler Imperial far left. Silver Porsche 356A (possibly a Speedster) behind 1960 Chevrolet right middle lane.

explorerx4 · November 2023

This guy takes identifying the cars in the picture to a whole new level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVIwbte-StI

fintail · November 2023

andys120 said:

fintail said:
101 near Torrey Pines Beach State Beach, 1961 - zooms ok:

1960 Chrysler Imperial far left. Silver Porsche 356A (possibly a Speedster) behind 1960 Chevrolet right middle lane.

Yep i think the Porsche is a Speedster. Big money today.

I believe the Imperial is a 57 (single lights)

fintail · November 2023

My friend's mom's car had the lacy spoke wheels that were kind of a machined finish. Cornering lights as per usual on those LXs, I am pretty sure it had a keypad but I don't recall if it had a sunroof or not (or if wagons had the option).

Funny, you could pull up in front of my house in a as-new mint low mileage 1st gen Taurus LX wagon or something like a new Bentley, and I would spend more time checking out the Taurus.

sda said:
Mom had an 87 Taurus LX with this red interior, though not faded. The exterior color combination and wheels were the same as this poor car. Her car was optioned somewhat unusually. It had all power, including sunroof, the enhanced stereo/cassette, cornering lights. It had the standard gauge cluster, standard ac, and no driver door remote keypad. The 3.0 Vulcan was reliable, thrifty but coarse. She drove it for around 10 years and was replaced with a 98 Aurora with sunroof, most options, Autobahn suspension.

andys120 · November 2023

tjc78 · November 2023

Flame suit on…

I actually liked my 93 Taurus. Dual power leather seats, sunroof and the JBL audio was pretty good for the early 90s

3.8 was super torquey and it handled decently.

Also looked it up on a brochure. I see no mention of cornering lights for 93.

sda · November 2023

IIRC the nice-looking alloy wheels were offered in 1988 and looked much better than those on the 87. The wheels on the 87 were steel rims with a urethane like material molded to the rim along with a separate stainless steel chrome outer ring. That chrome ring was a pain to attach to the rim and was often marred as a result.

kyfdx · November 2023

1970 Trans Am

stickguy · November 2023

I love that version firebird.

fintail · November 2023

My friend's mom's Taurus had these wheels:

My mom's 93 had these:

These had center caps, of course. The 93 wheels had a harder finish than the polycast type wheels on our Tempo - you could wax them.

My mom's 93 seemed like a nice car too - I remember she was pleased with it until the head gasket fun. The heavy facelift for 92 kept the car looking modern, and I remember taking it up to extra-legal speeds, as I was a young driver and just had to see.

andys120 · November 2023

kyfdx said:
1970 Trans Am

More specifically it's a 1970 Pontiac Firebird TransAm Ram Air IV, possibly the fastest Poncho ever sold to the public

sda · November 2023

GM did something similar with polycast wheels. These were on my 76 Sunbird.

fintail · November 2023

Our Tempo had these wheels, I believe also available on higher trim Escort:

I recall they had a slightly rough finish that seemed porous.

transamsd73 · November 2023

That's a gorgeous 70 Trans Am in Admiralty Blue. I believe the fastest T/A was the SD455 of 73/74. VERY under rated at 290hp. One of the most powerful Poncho motors was the Ram Air V, of which very few were built. Either way, these Birds are all great cars!

andys120 · November 2023

Mystery car pix

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