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

uplanderguy · May 20

Wow, Chevy had 6,030 U.S. dealers at the time of the '77's introduction. That's way down now, but I always considered their dealer count to be an advantage.

We got our '77 Impala in Nov. '76. I heard more than one person tell me at a light or in a parking lot, "It looks like a Seville!". It's the large, round wheel openings.

On the Caprice, I definitely like the '77's front and rear end details best of the model run. Simple. Not a bunch of tack-on trim on taillights, fussy grille, etc.

It's usually my take that the first year's styling details are the best, then later years are changed for the sake of change.

We had an Impala. It was quiet, but didn't have a hood blanket. My friends' parents' Caprice was, to me at the time, incredibly quiet. I remember one of the ads then said "You'll find it hard to believe that a moving automobile can be this quiet". The trait I absolutely miss most in modern vehicles.

andre1969 · May 20

I wonder if you could only get those scooped out "Sport" hubcaps with the 15x7 rims? Chrysler had a "turbine" wheelcover in the late 70s, that really had some depth to it, but it was only offered with the 15x7. It wouldn't fit the narrower rims. If that Chevy "Sport" hubcap is the one I'm thinking of, I always called those "fake BBS" as they did have a vague similarity to the BBS rims of the 80s.

As for styling, it's funny how sometimes a slight nuance can make all the difference. With the Caprice, for example, I had to look at the pics again, to refresh my memory. I like both the '77 and '78. Slight preference towards the '77, but I find them both attractive. But the '79, I never did like. I think it's the way they stagger the headlights, and they're not inset as far as they were on '77-78...or the Impala.

With the Impala, my first preference is also '77, but I also like the '78 and '79.

Oh, thinking back on those axle ratios, I wonder if the shift points may have given an advantage to the taller axle ratio? The Motortrend spec sheet, with the 3.08:1 mentions that it shifted into second at 42 mph. Every vehicle I've had with a tall axle (Catalina with the 2.56:1, '76 LeMans with a 2.41:1, '79 5th Avenue with a 2.45:1) would hold first gear well into the 50s. A quicker axle ratio is most likely an advantage with a higher performance car that likes to rev, but with these loafier engines that don't have a lot of hp, but still have good low end torque, maybe the quicker axle really didn't help? It probably did help, to put less strain on the powertrain if you regularly towed a trailer or carried a heavy load.

explorerx4 · May 20

Not sure if I'll be able to get a picture of it, on a 45 mph road, but I saw 60's unibody Ford pickup on a trailer in someone's yard today.
They only made them from 61 to 63.

fintail · May 20

On the road today - 70s F series maybe a 4x4 looked decent, immaculate PT Cruiser woody, clean mid 80s Datsun/Nissan pickup with "ST" graphics.

uplanderguy · May 21

I don't remember seeing anything in the brochures about the Sport Wheel Covers being available only on the wide wheels, andre.

Unibody Ford pickup--to my eyes, along with the '56, best-looking Ford truck.

tjc78 · May 21

90s week -

96 ish oval Taurus Wagon wearing period Nj plates as well. Young guy driving it .. must be Grandmom or Grandpops.

Also a mint Corsica. Couldn’t tell you the last time I saw one of those.

fintail · May 21

White 79-85 Eldo couldn't make out enough details to try to tell a year, black just-postwar DeSoto sedan in clean unrestored looking condition keeping up with traffic just fine.

andre1969 · May 22

Yesterday, I got the Catalina out of the garage for the first time this year, and dropped it off with the mechanic to give it its annual look-over...

Here it is, at the shop:

While I was there, I noticed this old Jeep Wagoneer. Apologies for the bad resolution, but it was off in the distance, on the other side of a chain link fence, so I had to really zoom in:

Oh, and here's a little something to make me feel old: the keychain I use for the Catalina:

I still remember going to Ocean City that day, with my two best friends from college. We went in my '68 Dart. I ended up using this keychain for the Catalina, because I already had a keychain for the Dart that said "Dodge" on it. It's funny, how back on that day in 1995, 1985 seemed SOOOO long ago. But now, here it is, 30 years and two days after I got that keychain, and I swear it went by in a blur!

And finally, a sighting today. Ford Ranger, stopped in traffic. I think it's roughly a '95-99?

stickguy · May 22

Pancho still looks good.

fintail · May 22

30 years flies by in a way, I am at that mark with the fintail, which is also in the shop right now for its annual service and checkup (and of course it rains).

tjc78 · May 22

@fintail said:
30 years flies by in a way, I am at that mark with the fintail, which is also in the shop right now for its annual service and checkup (and of course it rains).

It’s crazy how fast time really does move. I was poking around at some old discussions and I’ve been here since 2006 nearly 20 years. I found a thread where I was comparing a 2006 Avalon to a Lucerne.

I know others have been here longer than me

imidazol97 · May 22

@fintail
I search for 1960 Fords. Here are couple that have come out of hiding. For years
they were rare at area cruise-ins and shows.

imidazol97 · May 22

Another interesting find.

What's wrong with this interior on this car pictured above.

fintail · May 22

tjc78 said:

@fintail said:

30 years flies by in a way, I am at that mark with the fintail, which is also in the shop right now for its annual service and checkup (and of course it rains).

It’s crazy how fast time really does move. I was poking around at some old discussions and I’ve been here since 2006 nearly 20 years. I found a thread where I was comparing a 2006 Avalon to a Lucerne.

I know others have been here longer than me

I think I have slightly more time. I bought my E55 AMG in 2006, almost 20 years seems wild - and now those cars (and the C43 AMG I replaced it with) are on the cusp of becoming minor collectibles.

fintail · May 22

They must have been scrapped in massive numbers - although 1960 was still in a slower economy I think, the cars didn't sell that poorly, but they are hen's teeth now.

imidazol97 said:
@fintail
I search for 1960 Fords. Here are couple that have come out of hiding. For years
they were rare at area cruise-ins and shows.

imidazol97 · May 22

@andre1969
Tuned intakes...

I notice a puddle from the radiator area running downhill. Oh,oh.

explorerx4 · May 22

DeSoto has a long ram 413.

texases · May 22

The rear end of that '60 Ford wagon looks bizarre, odd that I've never seen a photo of it before.

ab348 · May 22

fintail said:
They must have been scrapped in massive numbers - although 1960 was still in a slower economy I think, the cars didn't sell that poorly, but they are hen's teeth now.

They didn’t sell as well as the ‘59 and I think that is part of the longtime reputation that they didn’t sell well. Plus the other part of the reputation is that they weren’t well built and many were scrapped prematurely. Unfortunate, since the design is very space-age and of the period.

imidazol97 · May 22

I came across two 1960 Fords last summer that were borderline junkyard material--ripe for restoration. I saw one more recently and it was still in terrible shape, in Indiana.

At least these 1960 Fords haven't been ruined with continental kits, reflectors below the taillights in the shape in the bumper that mirrors the taillights above them, rubber bumper guards on the front and rear bumpers, and anything else they could get from the aftermarket.

On the Ford convertible the wheels seemed almost believable. I didn't get a good picture of them.

fintail · May 22

ab348 said:

fintail said:
They must have been scrapped in massive numbers - although 1960 was still in a slower economy I think, the cars didn't sell that poorly, but they are hen's teeth now.
They didn’t sell as well as the ‘59 and I think that is part of the longtime reputation that they didn’t sell well. Plus the other part of the reputation is that they weren’t well built and many were scrapped prematurely. Unfortunate, since the design is very space-age and of the period.

I suspect they were prolific rusters, that combined with a style that fell out of fashion fast, quick depreciation of the era, and being heavy probably sent a huge number to the scrapyard by maybe 1970.

I recall my dad's 60 rusted oddly - body panels were pretty good, but the front floors (only the front, rear and cargo area were ok, I remember the carpet being removed) had holes - I suspect general PNW damp and maybe the leaky heater core that he replaced soon after he bought the car were culprits. At that time I don't believe replacement panels were available, he shaped some steel sheets and fiberglassed it in rather than welding - maybe not the most OEM job but it held up fine through the time he sold the car.

fintail · May 22

imidazol97 said:
I came across two 1960 Fords last summer that were borderline junkyard material--ripe for restoration. I saw one more recently and it was still in terrible shape, in Indiana.

At least these 1960 Fords haven't been ruined with continental kits, reflectors below the taillights in the shape in the bumper that mirrors the taillights above them, rubber bumper guards on the front and rear bumpers, and anything else they could get from the aftermarket.

On the Ford convertible the wheels seemed almost believable. I didn't get a good picture of them.

On that note, the rough but complete 60 Country Sedan that was a cosmetic twin to my dad's car I posted from local CL a few weeks ago was deleted, which usually means it sold.

Don't forget spotlights. I have seen several 60s with an OEM accessory hood ornament that I don't really care for, but like the rest it is a matter of taste, there can be a limit to gingerbread.

ab348 · May 22

imidazol97 said:
I came across two 1960 Fords last summer that were borderline junkyard material--ripe for restoration. I saw one more recently and it was still in terrible shape, in Indiana.

At least these 1960 Fords haven't been ruined with continental kits, reflectors below the taillights in the shape in the bumper that mirrors the taillights above them, rubber bumper guards on the front and rear bumpers, and anything else they could get from the aftermarket.

On the Ford convertible the wheels seemed almost believable. I didn't get a good picture of them.

A lot of those items that you are labeling as aftermarket were actually available as factory options. From the brochure:

fintail · May 22

Back in the day did anyone kind of snark at some of that stuff, or was it considered cool?

uplanderguy · May 23

All that stuff for some reason reminds me when I was a kid and would see C2 Corvettes with three lights on each side, added by somebody.

uplanderguy · May 23

This is that '78 Caprice Classic Landau discussed here recently. This pic is from a post that showed up on my FB feed from the selling dealer. He commented that it sold "almost immediately" to a guy who fondly remembered his Dad's '79 very much like it. There was a pic of that car in profile and except for having had red pinstripe instead of gold, the two were pretty indistinguishable.

uplanderguy · May 23

That pic reminds me what a car friend of mine used to say in general. He didn't like "three tiers of trim" on the side, much as I don't. By that he meant, rocker trim, body side moldings, and pinstripe, starting from the bottom up.

I remember seeing a beautiful black '79 Bonneville coupe on here, I'm sure we've discussed. Saddle bucket seats and what I call 'snowflake' wheels. Thankfully it didn't have the padded Landau top with partially-filled in quarter windows, but it had the very wide rocker trim those cars all had, body side moldings, upper body pinstriping, and even pinstriping around the top of the front wheel openings. Really, too much to my eyes. I'd have liked it best with no body side moldings and just the upper body pinstriping.

imidazol97 · May 23

ab348 said:

imidazol97 said:
I came across two 1960 Fords last summer that were borderline junkyard material--ripe for restoration. I saw one more recently and it was still in terrible shape, in Indiana.

At least these 1960 Fords haven't been ruined with continental kits, reflectors below the taillights in the shape in the bumper that mirrors the taillights above them, rubber bumper guards on the front and rear bumpers, and anything else they could get from the aftermarket.

On the Ford convertible the wheels seemed almost believable. I didn't get a good picture of them.
A lot of those items that you are labeling as aftermarket were actually available as factory options. From the brochure:

That's right. Most things were options. My thinking, however, is that someone doing a restoration in 2015 likely won't be able to get a continental kit or reflectors, etc., from Ford as new parts. Nor will they find many in the junkyards. So I assume they're still available from some aftermarket companies, for restorers or the JC Whitney type places, if they're still around.

Those options were rare or nonexistent in Fords in the Indiana/Ohio area where I was at the time.

andre1969 · May 23

I'm wondering if another factor with the '60 Ford not doing so hot, sales-wise, was the Falcon? It was a smash hit in 1960, blowing away the Corvair and Valiant. However, I think the Corvair actually opened up a new market, the sporty compact, whereas the Falcon, being more conservative and sensible, cannibalized a lot of the big car sales.

fintail · May 23

Good point, I wouldn't be surprised if the Falcon poached some bigger car sales - instead of buying a basic taxi spec Fairlane as a second/commuter car or as a fleet car, why not get something new and at least a little more economical?

I wonder if some top brass were not pleased with the styling either, seeing as the design language mostly vanished for 61.

Michaell · May 23

Falcon adjacent? Before my grandmother bought her '67 Monterey coupe, she had a Mercury Comet of early to mid-60's vintage. I dimly remember it.

uplanderguy · May 23

I've always really liked '61 Starliners. One gimmicky styling thing I liked was that you pulled to open the door with the piece of trim that ran down the sides. Kind of a hidden thing.

Even as a kid, I thought the two steering shafts on the cars was dorky though.

ab348 · May 23

fintail said:
Good point, I wouldn't be surprised if the Falcon poached some bigger car sales - instead of buying a basic taxi spec Fairlane as a second/commuter car or as a fleet car, why not get something new and at least a little more economical?

I wonder if some top brass were not pleased with the styling either, seeing as the design language mostly vanished for 61.

Well, Ford Design in that era was a bit of a snake pit, with George Walker (a very slippery fella) trying to influence everyone in the Glass House and line his own pockets at the same time until HFII made him retire at 65. Then you had the other execs HFII brought in also jockeying for position, giving orders and assigning blame for every program that didn’t succeed. It sounded like a place to keep your head down and be a good company man.

ab348 · May 23

uplanderguy said:

Even as a kid, I thought the two steering shafts on the cars was dorky though.

Ford held on to the exposed column-shift rod through the 1963 models IIRC. Inexplicable.

sda · May 23

@ab348 said:
Ford held on to the exposed column-shift rod through the 1963 models IIRC. Inexplicable.

On my 62 Galaxie, that shift linkage looked unfinished and down market.

fintail · May 23

I recall the exposed linkage on our 60 as well. Odd they apparently changed it for 64, as IIRC 60-64 Fords are related.

sda · May 24

fintail said:
I recall the exposed linkage on our 60 as well. Odd they apparently changed it for 64, as IIRC 60-64 Fords are related.

I had to replace the windshield in my 62 Galaxie for it to pass Va. inspection. I got a used windshield from a 64 Galaxie. Funny thing, in certain light you could see the parallel wiper wear marks on the windshield while the 62 had opposing wipers. It looked odd, but passed inspection.

explorerx4 · May 24

Yesterday, I saw a white final gen Saab 9-5.
A few houses away, where some people moved in about 6 months ago, a gold 67 or 68 Shelby Mustang in one of the garage bays.

fintail · May 24

A friend spotted this today in a Seattle suburb, can't be many of these around:

imidazol97 · May 25

andre1969 said:
I'm wondering if another factor with the '60 Ford not doing so hot, sales-wise, was the Falcon? It was a smash hit in 1960, blowing away the Corvair and Valiant. However, I think the Corvair actually opened up a new market, the sporty compact, whereas the Falcon, being more conservative and sensible, cannibalized a lot of the big car sales.

That's a very good point.

fintail · May 26

Spotted these yesterday, first time I have noticed them:

Also saw a few things on the road on a hot Sunday - 77-79 Cutlass, a couple nice 70s F150 4x4s, unrestored looking MG-TD (I was with a friend, who commented "it looks like it's 100 years old", very clean 90s Z, heavily restored looking late 60s Beetle with wide whites.

sda · May 26

Too bad CBS killed Audi with the false unintended acceleration report. The 5000 was a sharp car. It took years for Audi to recover.

fintail · May 26

sda said:
Too bad CBS killed Audi with the false unintended acceleration report. The 5000 was a sharp car. It took years for Audi to recover.

I like both the first and second gen 5000 - the red one in the pic appears be a late example before the 5000 name was dropped for the 100/200 badge around 1989. In reading old ads, I can see depreciation on all 5000s was monstrous, and I suspect they could be finicky too.

fintail · May 26

Out for a late morning jog, I see the Alliance convertible is back and had the driver's window halfway down and halfway covered with a plastic sheet - window regulator issue? Also saw a late 80s Nissan Z, the block with the 92-93 Accord, Aurora, and Topaz also gained a Suzuki SX4.

tjc78 · May 27

I saw a first gen Aurora today in gold, not often you see one here.

imidazol97 · May 27

Recently I asked if anyone noticed something about this interior of the Dart 1960.

The car has pushbuttons to the left of the steering wheel which I believe is for the automatic transmission of that era AND it has a floor shifter for the manual tranny.

The car has a Hemi under the hood.

Michaell · May 27

When I was in HS, my mother’s friend had a friend who had an early 60’s Dart for sale. It had the slant 6 and the push button automatic. It was a coppery brown color with a tartan interior.

Can’t remember now why I didn’t get it. I always thought it would have looked good painted dark blue.

andre1969 · May 27

With that '60 Dart Phoenix yeah, the pushbuttons are for the automatic transmission it originally came with, and the floor shifter was put in after it was modded. As far as I know, there was no floor shift offered in a '60 Dart. You either got a Three on the Tree, or a pushbutton automatic.

xwesx · May 27

I dunno. It looks stock to me.

explorerx4 · May 27

Saw an early 90's Dodge Stealth driving on my street today. Looked brand new.
Yesterday parked on a lawn, a mid 90's Mustang Cobra convertible for sale, asking price 18K.

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

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