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:

uplanderguy · October 31

Visited old college friends last week in west-central PA. He has a 2001 Viper which he took me for a thrill ride in. I'd never ridden in one previously. It's raw compared to a C8 (which he also owns), but it was a fun ride. (He has had a C4, C5, C6, and C8 Corvettes, all bright yellow.)

This was a couple days after we interred my sister's ashes in the family plot (since 1916) in western PA, so it was a mood-lifter for sure.

fintail · October 31

And a coupe no less, which has to be less common than the roadster. I still remember seeing my first Viper coupe on the road, in blue like I think most of the early ones were, this was in 1996 or 1997.

xwesx · October 31

uplanderguy said:

Now see? That's what I want to be able to do.... just park my car right in the middle of the living room. Is that really too much to ask?!

ab348 · October 31

Fun video from NAAS I just stumbled upon of what is apparently a “how not to drive” educational film from 1960 shot in Phoenix and apparently sponsored by Ford. Lots to see here:

https://youtu.be/8EzSq1mBMqA?si=xpASonfE5KZtSg1X

stickguy · October 31

You want raw , try riding in a 427 cobra. That will give you a pucker.

fintail · November 1

ab348 said:
Fun video from NAAS I just stumbled upon of what is apparently a “how not to drive” educational film from 1960 shot in Phoenix and apparently sponsored by Ford. Lots to see here:

https://youtu.be/8EzSq1mBMqA?si=xpASonfE5KZtSg1X

A couple wagons and a 4 door HT spotted among the other 60s - I agree with comments that this was likely filmed soon after the Falcon launch when other 60s were also new. I like the theory that these are outtakes from a driver's ed film. I was expecting the Mercury to swoop in and steal the Falcon's parallel parking spot.

uplanderguy · November 1

Now see? That's what I want to be able to do.... just park my car right in the middle of the living room. Is that really too much to ask?!

Their home is a converted barn on the property. This building shown is what they call "The Pool House", as their pool is just outside. The building is probably about 10 or 12 years old. There is a bedroom or two on the second floor, and a kitchen with counter and seats for eight or ten just to the left of the car in the pic. Besides this Viper, he keeps his '22 C8, an '82 Jeep Scrambler, and a WWII-era Army Willys Jeep (built 3-45 per the data tag on it), in that building.

laurasdada · 7:55AM

Busy week on the road:
Wednesday, into Boston to see Hamilton. Wowzer, see it if you ain't.
Thursday, during our little slice of Hurricane Melissa, a 10 hour stint behind the wheel to get to Jersey City, NJ. Then Uber to MSG to see the last few minutes of Pat Benater followed by a young looking and very energetic Bryan Adams. Good show. Ridden back in brother-in-law's Pallisades.
Friday was much sleep, followed by passing out candy for Halloween on the streets of Jersey...City.
Saturday, a much nicer and quicker ride home.

The car portion of our program? In the NY/NJ area I saw 3 Fisker Ocean's on the road, running. Those poor folks...

stickguy · 11:17AM

Out driving around in Saratoga an early looking Porsche 928. Head lights up and looked pretty tired original. But moving under its own power.

fintail · 2:23PM

Got up a little early to take the old dear out as old car driving season will soon be coming to a close - depending on Mother Nature today might even be it for 2025. Spots - very nice black 68-69 Camaro convertible, very stock looking with whitewalls and full wheelcovers, Suzuki XL7, and another Freelander - this one a first gen, looked to be in nice condition and was driving.

uplanderguy · 3:04PM

You want raw , try riding in a 427 cobra. That will give you a pucker.

I can only imagine.

My only other real 'pucker' was when I told a friend at a Stude meet I'd love a ride in a guy's '64 Daytona Hardtop with R3 engine, with the optional factory goodies supposedly making 400 hp--in a Lark. This guy's car was THE car that was on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine in January '64. My friend asked the guy and he said "Go get Bill and we'll go". I let out a scream going up the ramp to US 31 south of South Bend.

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

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