When I moved to LA, I discovered it has a thriving early Saturday morning car show culture. On any given weekend, multiple parking lots across town fill up with classic and special interest cars free for the viewing. By starting the gatherings around 7 AM, and breaking up around 9, these events make use of empty parking lots across town, and end before the shopping crowds arrive. The process is very organic- There’s no show registration, no vendor booths, and no show fees. People simply show up around seven, and then head out to their morning errands after nine.
Last Saturday, I scheduled a CC Meet-Up at the Palos Verdes Coffee and Cars event on LA’s Palos Verdes Peninsula. The 7:30 start time proved a bit daunting for our CC readership, but I arrived camera in hand, to capture suitable Curbside Classics.
Joining me at the show was one time contributor Joe Latshaw, posing here in front of an early Chevy II Nova convertible. Joe comes from a family of Mazda fans, and wrote a very comprehensive CC article on the 2nd generation Mazda RX-7 that I’ve linked here: Mazda RX-7 F3CS. He also drove to the show in a very nice Mazda B2600 Pickup. Perhaps he’ll write a CC article about his truck sometime (hint hint).
There were more than 100 cars at the show, but as I said in the car show clue yesterday, I’ve tried to ignore the standard car show fodder of Mustangs and Camaros and find some unusal vehicles (although if you squint, there’s the typical line up of Ford pony cars posed behind this 1970 Pontiac Bonneville convertible).
I neglected to photograph the front of this Mercury convertible, but the tail light panel may be this car’s best feature. Up front, the owner posted a placard declaring it to be a factory 429 car, making it a rare ride indeed. Given the size of the car, even seven liters of power may not provide it with linebacker speed.
After looking at two Detroit based boats, here’s a West German version of an automotive boat. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the Amphicar, but seeing one in the flesh is always a bit surreal, especially when you see two propellers hanging below the back bumper. I’ve seen footage of these cars plowing through the water, confirming they are amphibious. Still, the the thought of driving one of these down a boat ramp and out into the water strikes me as the height of foolishness.
This rig may be my personal favorite. It’s the right generation, it’s completely stock, and the stepside bed is unusal. Even more unusual…
It’s a long bed, rather than the typical short bed. The early morning shadows make for an uneven shot, but the first picture masks that long wheelbase.
Here’s another long wheelbase rig, but there’s no shadows hiding this Cadillac Eldorado. Who can deny the purity and power of these lines? My camera just lept up and demanded I take a picture.
This Pontiac could be a typical car show muscle car, but three things set it apart. 1) It’s a Tempest. 2) The front fender emblem does NOT read “389.” 3) The wheels are steel. Throw in that unmatchable mid-sixties Pontiac style, and I just had to post it.
Why did I follow up the Tempest with a ’49 Dodge? Well, it’s a study of contrasts- Extreme style, meet extreme practicality.
In yesterday’s Car Show clue, SeattleO asked “Is that Larry Wood’s Nash?!” Well, as a matter of fact it is. Larry Nash worked as a Hot Wheels stylist, and built this car to provide a traditional exterior look combined with a modern driveline. For more information, check out this Hemmings Motor News article.
This post war Buick also dropped by, and also provided a very traditional exterior appearance. Could it also have a Chevy V-8 underhood?
Not at all! Other than the plastic coolant overflow tank, this engine bay contains a completely stock straight eight, coupled to a Dynaflow transmission.
This ’32 Ford does have an upgraded driveline, but it’s a period project, rather than a modernization. Its flathead V-8 includes increased carburation and forced induction. Despite the rough finish, there’s some nice detail work done on this car- Notice the multiple holes in the front axle to reduce weight.
I’ve included a couple of exotics from the show, just to give you a taste of the incredible variety I see each month. I had many options to choose from, and I made my choices based on which ones spoke to me.. In this case, the Nissan GT-R easily blocked my view of that blue Cobra.
Clearly, this Porsche Carrera GT outshines that red Ferrari off to the left.
Finally, a BMW Z-8 diminishes that black Ford GT. It’s hard to believe Z-8 production ended twenty years ago, since the car looks as current as a new Cadillac. If I encounter this car on the street, I’ll take a full set of pictures and give it the full CC treatment. I think it’s a mesmerizing car, with gorgeous bodywork!
Speaking of mesmerizing and gorgeous, here’s a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. Frankly, I don’t care for this car in red.
It looks so much better in a midnight blue. Yes, there were TWO Gullwings at the show last Saturday morning. I imagine a couple of folks out there wish they had gotten up a bit earlier last weekend, and checked out that 7 AM car show.
Feast your eyes on this shot. This interior detail proves that at one time, Mercedes deserved the tagline “Engineered like no other car in the world.”
Here’s another purpose built racecar that was made available to the buying public. I’ve no idea how this Ford RS200 came to Southern California, but it certainly pegs the exotic meter. Rumor says it is one of 200.
Notice the Oregon plates. I’m pretty sure you’d face a loooong uphill battle trying to convince the state of California to title this foreign exotic in state.
Speaking of Oregon, I think I know a fellow up there who really likes this exotic. I wanted to ask the owner to open the hood, but didn’t get the chance. Maybe he’ll bring it up again next month, and I can take some pictures of the running gear.
In closing, I’ll provide you with a few Chevy El Camino pictures, the “Official Curbside Classic of Los Angeles.” All of these Caminos were at the show, and none of them appeared in my posting from last month, which had twenty other El Caminos. I’m telling you, these things are all over my neighborhood.
Here’s El Camino two. Be sure to check out the cars in the background of these pictures- It helps give you a feel for the amazing variety here at this monthly car show.
And in closing, El Camino number three. I really like the one piece headlights someone added to this car. Chevy used similar headlights in the Monte Carlo LS and the final boxy B-body Caprice. They may have been the same units, since they replaced square headlights in those cars, and appear to bolt into the grille of this Camino.
Well, that ends our tour of the Palos Verdes car show. I hope you enjoyed it, and I’ll try to share a couple more California shows in the near future, while the rest of the country suffers through the long nights of winter.
Despite my constant annoying bad mouthing regarding hot rods and antique car shows, that ’32 Ford is a very good example of where a hot rod IS a legitimate antique car (and I wish the AACA would do a tightly regulated class for them) – where a vintage hot rod is put back on the road in the same manner as when it was built back in the ’40’s, ’50’s or ’60’s. Period parts, only; and period implementation of all those parts. Absolutely nothing modern allowed, and extra points is you can document the car as originally built and show that you’ve put it back together in the original manner.
I do feel that the vintage hot rod scene is as much part of vintage automobiles, as are the factory stock one.
On the other hand, I wanted to cry regarding that Nash. Talk about ruining a perfectly wonderful vintage automobile. Shoulda guessed, he designed Hot Wheels.
That is a fine-looking ’32. I’m trying to rack my brain as to the origin of those wheels.
I hate to be cynical, but can we be 100% sure it’s not a modern re-creation? These kind of rods are very in, and I wouldn’t want to bet against the possibility.
Paul- If I see this ’32 again, I’ll ask about the wheels. I suspect it is a modern recreation, but the given demographics of the attendees, it is possible that this is the genuine article.
Those wheels really look to me like late Crown Vic cop car wheels. They’re probably not, but that’s what they look like.
Never seen those wheels either, to me they look like space saver spares, too narrow for anything else?
I vote for re-creation as well. Some of the details are trying too hard to look like they’re not trying too hard.
Nice car though.
Syke,
One of the reasons I like Bonneville so much is that everything there is “period correct”. No one gets hung up on “legitimacy” as there is a class for everything. You can be as correct as you want. Inlines and flatties rule. Why don’t you come out next August?
Great pics. Might want to double check the math on the Z8 production end date…..ended 10yrs ago in 2003
Yeah, I need to stop doing math in my head…
I guess that also makes it a bit easier to understand why the car has such a sophisticated level of finish.
Nice variety – big difference between SoCal and CentInd. 🙂
I always thought that the 69-70 big Mercury made a very attractive convertible. There used to be a maroon one that lived in my neighborhood, but I have not seen it in years.
As for the 70 Pontiac, I am still trying to decide if I like it. I always wondered why they didn’t do something with the Endura bumper like they did with the 69. I think it would have been an improvement.
That Dodge looks like one of the low-priced Wayfarer models, which were an early example of poaching onto Plymouth’s turf.
The Buick is a 50, always identifiable by that really odd bumper-grille mashup. I have never understood this design, and consider it one of the few sour notes to come out of GM styling during that period.
First it was orange cars. Now its ’50 Buick grilles. I think I’ll paint a ’50 Buick orange and park it in front of your house.
Looking at those gullwings, I never realized how big the “sill” is. Quite a step to get in. I guess you’d have to be reasonably nimble to do so. I don’t even want to think about getting back out.
Nice pix
For sure the Gullwing is not the car to use for running errands where you need to get in and out several times. For that matter it must be a pain getting the door closed once you do get in. Beautiful car though, especially in that dark blue.
I admire that German aesthetic that made chrome trim almost jewel-like, at least up into the early 70s.
Is it part of the Gullwing owner’s code that at every show, at least one door must remain open at all times?
That is why the steering wheel flips up for a bit more room.
Wonderful selections for feature in your post.
I’m usually on a similar page with JP, not today.
Love the ’70 Bonnie, unfortunately the same poop brown / green / off white top color of my ’72 Grandville. But, I love the car so much I could accept the color.
The ’69 – ’70 Mercury just doesn’t do it for me. The slightly concave butt was always further bent up by the slightest touch, the sides were very plain and had no attractive lines, trim was very plain. The front of these cars with the headlight doors was the best feature. Make my Mercury a ’64 – ’68 or a ’71 and up.
What’s not to love about a ’67 Eldo except for the standard front drum brakes? I’ll take mine in black as shown with a brake upgrade.
Really like the ’50 Buick. Easy to see why Chrysler started to get into so much trouble by the early ’50s when you compare it to the ’49 Dodge.
Would love to know more about the Ford RS 200. Never heard of it.
The dash in the midnight blue Gullwing is a work of art. The interior color is a perfect compliment to the exterior.
Totally agree with the comments on the Tempest. Just a wonderful ’60s car.
Nice variety of cars there, except of course way too many Gullwings. 😉
Joe Latshaw – If you’re reading this, did you at one time go by the handle “KillerB2200” or something along those lines?
This is an awesome, and eclectic, mix of hardware – and if most car shows had similar fare I’d attend them much more often! An RS200 is quite a find anywhere in the world, but there can’t be more than a handful of them in the US. Driving that car in LA traffic must be torture!
I’ve only ever seen one Carrera GT in person and consulting Google reveals that a mere 604 were sold in the US, so while it’s downright common compared to the Ford, it’s still an extreme rarity. I’ve read a lot about the 918 Spyder recently (anybody seen one yet?) and it’s, of course, always compared to its predecessor – with most writers coming to the conclusion that the CGT was cooler. I’m inclined to feel the opposite way about it, although that’s all relative of course. Both of them are ridiculously cool.
I’m with you 100% on the BMW Z8; a beautiful, timeless and severely underrated shape. I bet most people viewing this car now wouldn’t have any idea that it was a product of the late 90s “retro” styling fad (New Beetle, PT Cruiser, etc.), taking many cues from the 1950s 507 roadster. The last, great, pre-Bangle BMW and one of my favorites from that brand.
The restomod Nash is actually pretty cool, too – although I read the Hemmings article and wish the guy would’ve kept the AMC engine he had in it originally!
I actually only included one of the Carrera GTs. Like the Gullwings, the show had two GTs as well.
Yes indeed. 🙂
Oh that’s nuts… the scenery in the background of the RX-7 article looked familiar – I remember you from the Gran Turismo Forum OVER TEN YEARS AGO! I used to post there as Sean879. Do you still have the pickup? And didn’t you have a Daewoo as well?!
Sean,
That is me! Long time no chat! No need to tie up the comments section here, shoot me an email at joelatshaw@gmail.com. I can direct you to the forum where you’ll find some of the old gang hanging out. 🙂
Short answer – truck rusted too much to pass inspection and is now scrapped, but I picked up a B2600i 4×4 after I moved to California. The Daewoo got traded a while back. I split my time between the B2600 and a Dodge Challenger now.
The RS200 production run was indeed about 200 cars – 200 being the minimum required production to qualify for Group B racing/rallying with a further 20 “evolution” models allowed. Ford came late to the party, the RS200 only ran one season before Group B was cancelled but looked good up to that point. Ironically, the RS200 was one of the contributors as one of them went off into the crowd, killing several spectators – Although many believe this would have happened sooner or later anyway what with the massive crowds, extremely powerful cars and lax security overall.
Gorgeous car – I suspect it may be an Oregon registration due to potentially laxer standards in some Oregon counties and/or lower fees. It should be able to be registerd in CA now since the car is over 25years old, exempting it from DOT and EPA standard. Not sure how the CA smog check plays into that situation since it IS newer than 1976, it’s unlikely this would pass.
You are probably right about the headlights on that 3rd Elco being the same as the Caprice and Monte. They used the same style of glass for several of the General’s cars and the only thing different was the light mounts. The glass portion pops off with ease
It seems like a diverse selection of cars. I stopped going to most car shows because all they are nothing but Stangs and Camaros
The 32 looks great but its a later creation not ancient, wire wheels were first choice for lightness backintheday when they were plentiful. The RS is a good catch never seen a live one meself I see exotics in traffic so no interest there but Gullwings those are worth seeing , nice Tempest and Buick.
Love the Tempest and Gullwings,Nice mixed bag of cars you shot at the show,CC effect strikes again as I’ve just seen Juice from Sons Of Anarchy tailing the Nomads in his El Camino.
Wow I love the beautiful BMW Z8, but I’m still amazed how it seemed like everything about the car’s marketing and packaging was backwards. The trend was toward less expensive roadster/GTs, but BMW decided to build their first big roadster probably since the 507 (not sure on the history). The trend was toward hardtop convertibles, so they built a soft-top. The trend was toward automatic transmissions, so they built a manual transmission only. And the car was EXPENSIVE! I remember being in a Los Angeles BMW dealer and they had a Z8 with a sticker price of $128,000 cordoned off by velvet ropes like at club door entrance with DO NOT TOUCH all over it, and a price on the car of $400,000. I can’t remember if it was marked on the car, but the salesman said we’re not selling that car, I said but you’re a car dealer, the car must be for sale, and he said well if we do sell it, it will be for $400,000.
Then, at the end of the run, Alpina, the performance tuner, released an upgraded version with a smaller engine, automatic transmission and softer shocks. It just seemed so backwards!
Very interesting- It sounds like you’re the right guy to do a Curbside Classic on one. I knew their history was rather interesting, but I’d have to do some research to come up with the content you have bouncing around in your head.
At the time the Z8 came out I was a total BMW guy, loved old BMWs and loved the idea of a simple and beautiful and incredible GT. I had a 1974 2002 and 1983 633csi, both stick shifts, and I was a BMW club member, and was totally bought in. But when the car came out and I tried to convince the folks I knew who had money (a few friends and my dad) to look at the car, it just didn’t fit any of their needs. My buddy bought a Porsche 911 Cabriolet for way way less. My dad moved from Mercedes SL’s to SLK’s because they were lighter and way cheaper, and some of the car magazines thought it cost as much as an exotic car, rode like a sports car, and weighed in like a GT or even boulevard cruiser.
Then within 2-3 years, Mercedes was selling the SL55 AMG for a similar price with a power hardtop. Mario Andretti went to far as to say, if I remember correctly, that the SL55 was the greatest roadcar in the world.
I don’t know why it disappointed me so much at the time, but they sure are pretty!
A few years ago, when I was a little more flush than I am now, I looked at Z8s, thinking that they were at the right age to have depreciated pretty far. I seemed to remember the marketing weirdness and that they didn’t seem all that popular.
I was wrong. These have barely depreciated at all. I’d assumed they’d have dropped into the $40k range, but it’s rare to see one for much less than six figures. So much for that.
The fact of the matter is that if you’re rocking plaid like that, you don’t need a Z8 😀
We have a Coffee and Cars in Houston, and it is just phenomenal, the perfect form of car show. It’s only once a month, but according to the organizers they tend to have around 1500 cars show up, so you can find literally anything you want, from classics to hot rods to SUVs to modern exotics to Japanese nostalgia cars to curbside classics. Seriously, even the Tesla club has a pretty big presence there. The only problem is that it’s something like a 40 mile round trip for me, but it is definitely worth it.
Love those Gullwings. One Sunday about ten years ago I saw a silver grey Gullwing parked at the curb in downtown Portland. What a CC that would have been!
I always have considered the 1970-71 Pontiacs to be the the styling apogee of the full-size line.
In pure exterior styling terms, I like the ’71 better than the ’70. The prettiest ’71-’76 Pontiac I ever saw (including convertibles) was a year-old ’71 silver Bonneville 4-door hardtop with no vinyl roof, at a summer camp in the Poconos – a very elegant and somehow pure shape despite the swoopy fender edges. (There were very few silver cars then.)
Sorry, I meant 1970.
I bet the RS200 took 99% of the attention away from that Carrera GT! Thanks for the tour, and I agree half the fun is looking at cars in the background – eg was the GMC behind the Carrera GT just very shiny or was it highly modified?
Highly modified. It belonged to Boss Hoss motorcycles, who modified it for transporting their small block powered two wheelers. A little over the top for my tastes.
Damn, that Eldorado is fine. I always thought you could cut yourself running your finger down the fender lines on that car. It’s a ’68, so front disc brakes are optional, and it has the new 472 V8. Definitely the most desirable Eldo.
Really cool C10. Love the Red Mercury, especially the slightly concave rear end — fragile but beautiful. The Cadillac is exquisite and makes all the foreign exotics look like cheap toys to me.
Kudos to the owner of the nice ’70 Bonneville for keeping the cool wheelcovers & not going the Rally II route.
Nice cars, all, but I can’t get over the TWO! Gullwings. Red or blue, I love ’em. About ten years ago I saw a metallic red Gullwing pass me on Rockingham Road in Davenport. It was a blue collar/industrial part of town and I was shocked–SHOCKED!–I tell you, to see such a car. I almost drove off the road. That is the only Gullwing I’ve ever seen in the metal.
Tom-
I think I’ve seen a Gullwing on the road here in PV three or four times.
Even after ten years of California living, I still whip my head back to look at one, and suddenly feel like ten year old me who spotted one of the models from Motor Trend’s new car issue on the road for the first time.