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

texases · October 24

Bad sign-driver's window rolled down, rain comes in, floor rots.

fintail · October 24

Early one, I wonder if the rear windows roll down. It's like a beater from 30 years ago.

ab348 said:
This is just down the street from me. Might be abandoned in this lot, as the office building there is almost totally empty. Hard to believe this is over 40 years old.

sda · October 25

Good eye, I didn’t recognize the window is open. Not good.

tjc78 · October 25

I swear those k-cars came standard with a sagging rear. I noticed the open window too.. I’d wager that car is toast.

andre1969 · October 25

That Aries has roll-down rear windows. The models with roll-down window (mid-1982 and newer) had a smaller main window, and correspondingly larger rear quarter window, than the fixed-window models. This one just looks a little bit different, because it has those louvers or whatever, which make the quarter window look smaller. I think that might have denoted a more upscale trim level, but not sure. It's been ages since, but I have seen those louvers before.

fintail · October 25

Went out for lunch earlier, when I got back to my car a Horizon had parked behind me:

xwesx · October 25

Oh, my gosh. That's hilarious! Back in the day, those cars were everywhere. Now, it is like winning the lottery!

fintail · October 25

xwesx said:
Oh, my gosh. That's hilarious! Back in the day, those cars were everywhere. Now, it is like winning the lottery!

Spokane/PNW, if they are going to still be on the road somewhere it will be here. It looked to be in decent condition for an old economy car, so someone must like it.

thebean · October 26

Your wagon is just classically beautiful. I never see one of those here in North Texas.

uplanderguy · October 26

That is a nice-looking wagon.

fintail · October 26

Thanks - it is a rare car especially in this spec (with traditional grille and hood ornament). The car will have its 7th birthday soon - it was "born" in December 2018, and I took delivery in March of 2019. Knock on wood, the car has been virtually faultless.

benjaminh · October 27

fintail: If you feel like saying, how much was your impressive wagon? How many miles on it so far? What is the length compared to your classic Mercedes?

fintail · October 27

benjaminh said:
fintail: If you feel like saying, how much was your impressive wagon? How many miles on it so far? What is the length compared to your classic Mercedes?

I suppose it is an unusual modern car, so it fits this thread

MSRP on the car was 79K and change, I was in an expensive for the era (and my usual budget) lease initially, but when the lease was up the residual was far lower than post-covid market value, so I would have been crazy not to buy it, especially with how well the car has behaved and how nice it is to own and drive. I am a little under 40K miles now, hybrid commuting schedule really makes a difference in mileage. Per internet material the wagon is only about 6cm longer than the fintail, the wagon is also a little bit wider (and over 1000 lbs heavier, as usual for modern cars).

And on the obscure car front I saw a 4 door Subaru Justy in traffic today.

xwesx · October 27

fintail said:
And on the obscure car front I saw a 4 door Subaru Justy in traffic today.

Whoa! Those were hen's teeth even when new!

fintail · October 27

xwesx said:

fintail said:
And on the obscure car front I saw a 4 door Subaru Justy in traffic today.
Whoa! Those were hen's teeth even when new!

I know of a couple of 2 door (these are 3/5 door I guess) examples around, this being Spokane and all, but I don't recall seeing this particular car before. White like nearly all of them, appeared to be in decent shape.

benjaminh · October 28

fintail said:

benjaminh said:
fintail: If you feel like saying, how much was your impressive wagon? How many miles on it so far? What is the length compared to your classic Mercedes?
I suppose it is an unusual modern car, so it fits this thread MSRP on the car was 79K and change, I was in an expensive for the era (and my usual budget) lease initially, but when the lease was up the residual was far lower than post-covid market value, so I would have been crazy not to buy it, especially with how well the car has behaved and how nice it is to own and drive. I am a little under 40K miles now, hybrid commuting schedule really makes a difference in mileage. Per internet material the wagon is only about 6cm longer than the fintail, the wagon is also a little bit wider (and over 1000 lbs heavier, as usual for modern cars)...

For a loaded Mercedes wagon 79k sounds like a wise purchase. So it's a hybrid? What kind of mpg? Congrats. Seems like a contemporary classic or future classic. Does Mercedes still even make wagons for the US?

tjc78 · October 28

I think Fin was talking about a Hybrid in office/remote schedule.

That wagon reminds me a bit of my truck. Chrome grill, silver wheels in a time where so much is all blacked out and black wheels.

In traffic today up I95 through Philly I saw a 92ish 4 door Accord in about 5 different colors moving through traffic with no issues. I'd wager it is north of 300K miles with every indicator light on but still going.

fintail · October 28

Yes, hybrid schedule, I commute 3 days a week max. The car is not a hybrid.

The original MSRP is dear even if it is a hugely refined car - these things depreciate. But if one is going to keep it forever and can afford it, why not I guess. A maybe smart buy is a lease return, or maybe if one is lucky and ends up with a residual a healthy 5 figures under market value. The car returns around 30 mpg on the highway, low 20s in town, pretty good for its weight and power.

The wagon is still offered, but since MY 2021 as the "all terrain", a slightly more rugged looking spec:

E53 AMG (replacing E63) also just became available:

fintail · October 28

And on the obscure note, a Spokane-ny sighting if there ever was one, a Suzuki X90. If "Macarena" was a car, that would be it.

thebean · October 29

I like your grille so much better than those shown. It just says “Mercedes” to me. 👍

fintail · October 29

thebean said:
I like your grille so much better than those shown. It just says “Mercedes” to me. 👍

That's an unfortunate thing - the traditional style grille and hood star was dropped in the USDM when the All Terrain replaced the standard E wagon. It still exists elsewhere, of course.

fintail · October 29

Sightings today - likely the same Justy I recently saw, early Saturn wagon in decent shape - I always thought those looked nice, and a clean red late 80s style Saab 900 Turbo.

thebean · October 30

Saw a bright yellow Datsun 260Z (yes, not a 240Z, so a few years in) in North Dallas yesterday. Obviously some level of restoration has been done. It looked very nice from the outside. I remember the first one of these (240Z) I saw back in 1971 at a convenience store in my hometown of Sherman, Texas. Immediate love. Never got to buy one, however. Now that I can afford one, they are way too low for me. ☹️

texases · October 30

thebean said:
Saw a bright yellow Datsun 260Z (yes, not a 240Z, so a few years in) in North Dallas yesterday. Obviously some level of restoration has been done. It looked very nice from the outside. I remember the first one of these (240Z) I saw back in 1971 at a convenience store in my hometown of Sherman, Texas. Immediate love. Never got to buy one, however. Now that I can afford one, they are way too low for me. ☹️

I remember a friend of my dad getting one, must have been in his 60s at the time. He quickly traded it for a first-gen notchback Seville because he couldn't stand getting in and out of the seats in the Z. As a 20 year old I couldn't understand that! Now I am that!

fintail · October 30

Early Zs are worth real money today - ignored for a long time, and then one day prices flew upward.

Today's spot - Bronco II, a different one than I see in the neighborhood now and then.

And this from a local news page in a story about a stolen car caught by a license plate camera. Interesting car to steal, sometimes I feel like I along with the area around me has gone back in time to the late 80s or so:

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

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