Yes, I’ve been diagnosed with a severe case of AADD (Automotive Attention Deficit Disorder), and my therapy is to write about them (quickly) so that I can get them out of my system and move to the next one. But every once in a while I get stuck on a particular car. Finding the DKW has been a bit of a problem, and it really deepened when I came across this video of one in Portland being taken out for a spin. The blubbering exhaust at idle, the two-stroke wail while accelerating, the absolutely charming interior. An yellow too! It brought back so many memories of riding in my father’s aunt’s coupe, as well as… Anyway, maybe putting this post up will help. Hopefully.
Sunday Salon: What’s Your Current (Automotive) Obsession?
– Posted on November 6, 2011
Sounds like a pissed-off Poulan! Love it!
Seems to have very short gearing, the better to make up for the small mill I suppose. Looks fun to drive.
What is the noise when he shifts??
The sounds reminds me to a two stroke Suzuki pickups that were commonly used as rural public transports here a few decades ago. Down to the burble it makes during engine braking.
I think the noise when he shifts is the clutch pedal squeaking when released.
Looks like it’s an absolute hoot to drive! Charming as hell. You’ll feel fast going 40mph, while the driver of that camry in front is probably being bored to sleep at that speed. I can see why Paul is in love.
I thought I was the only AADD sufferer(?).
I’ve been fortunate enough to have owned most of the objects of my short term desire.
Currently I’m on the hunt for an 88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Possibly one of Fords best GT cars and the best example of the Fox chassis. (Sorry Mustang guys.)
It is one of the very few cars I regret letting go of.
Eh, we’ll agree to disagree! The Mark VII is the best Fox our there :p 😉 …a slightly longer wheelbase Bird with an HO 5.0, cushy ride, and gobs of torque. Yes, I’m trying to get you to join the dark side…
Just messing with you!!!! 😀 Good luck with the SC quest! Tell us about it when you find it, there hasn’t been a CC for one yet!
I forgot about the LSC! My bad. That was the most refined of the original Fox chassis.
I’ve found a few TCs SCs and LSCs in fine shape, they were always at car shows though.
If I could find pics of my old TurboCoupe I’d do a “My CC” on it.
Gonna be even better if you do it on your next one!! And maybe that one will be a keeper… 😉
I found one pic. Yes, it has Ohio plates, it came with a Michigan title and I bought it from a car lot that was set up in front of a junkyard in Illinois.. It had a salvage title from Mi and I took a chance at plating it here. I got lucky as the Il title came back clean..
That was such a handsome car, way cooler than the Stang. Yours looks bitchen. The 5.0’s were all lopos weren’t they? That boils it down to a SC or an engine transplant on all other Birds, I guess. How did the ATE brake unit treat you?
That was a Turbo 2.3. Car of the year for 87 and 88 was unchanged except for a better computer(LA3 for the turbophiles) 190hp/240ft/lb of torque from a 4 banger..
The 5.0s were all LoPo for the Fox Birds and Cougars.
I never had an issue with the braking unit. But that car barely had 60k on it when I got it. I sold the ATE/booster/MC and the struts/controllers on Ebay when I tore the Bird down to build my 79 Stang. Yes, I regret doing that..
I never understood the LoPo thing. I can at least sort of “get it” with the bone stock Panther target demographic (just look at the brochure pictures in Michael’s Crown Vic post from earlier today, lol), but with what basically is a muscle coupe they should have just made them all as Turbo 2.3 with none of that additional LoPo nonsense. It is clear that to offer an HO in the same price bracket was considered a threat to the Stang, so they couldn’t do that. But then… don’t make it at all.
I love the ATE units. They’ve been so maligned… I luv em.
Personally I’m sick of the attitude among automakers of: “Oh we can’t make a hiperformance variant of car X cause that will threaten car Z.” That logic killed the Fiero, kept the Camaro out of the Vette’s territory, kept the Thunderbird and Cougar from have true high performance variants, ect, ect, ect… If you’re gonna have a high performance option, go all the way.
I never understood it either. The whole Lo-Po Ford thing was born from the shaky idle of the HO 5.0. They thought that Thunderbird, Cougar and Panther buyers wanted a smooth idle and transition to power than Mustang/Capri buyers. The Turbo Coupe had Liquid filled motor mounts to help smooth it out.
GM on the other hand was flat out against any car having more power or being faster than the Vette. The 70 Chevelle SS 454, GNX and Trans Am GTA Turbo may have been the only ones that slipped past Corporate. (I think I’m missing one)
But that’s old GM.. They still had a tire chain clearance mandate going through the 90s..
Shaky idle and vibration. Yeah, baby! I love it. Just crank up the tunes!!!
OK you guys, what’s a LOPO?
LoPo=low power. The wheezy, wimpy, roughly 160 horse 302, when the concurrent HO 302 in Mustangs and Mark VIIs were doing 210+.
As the owner of a lopo 302 in a Panther, the worst thing about them is not the barely adequate power, it is that because of the firing order (mostly) you can’t make one sound like a HO no matter what mufflers you run.
I humbly submit that a soupy Ford 289 or 302 sounds better than any similarly-soupy small block Chevy. The lopo Ford shares the Chevy’s firing order and sounds farty and blatty just like most small block Chevies, whereas a small Ford HO sounds hotttt.
The heads on the 87+ HO cars were different too. They used the truck heads for flow on the HO and I don’t think the LoPo cars caught up until 1990 or so.
The “soupy” 302 did sound better than the L69 from the GM side. But props to the 305 for being developed as a smog motor and making it as an 80s pseudo-performance mill.
The (Chevy) 307 can’t brag like that.
The TPI 350 in the IROC Z had a sound all it’s own though.(in part because the chassis limited it to a single 3″ exhaust)
Seriously, the lo-pos had the Chevy firing order?? I had no idea. When did they start that? And more importantly, why?? That’s what I always loved about the small block Ford; it’s different sound.
The only explanation I’ve ever heard is that the Chevy firing order is supposedly smoother, but also harder on crankshafts or something. There are essentially NO performance camshafts available for the lopo firing order-if you want more juice, you have to change to the other order.
The HO 302s from the era in discussion have the 351w’s firing order. I don’t know if older 302s have this same order or not, never really thought about it. I’d guess they do, because they sound the way they should.
As for when the lopos went to the Chevy firing order, I’d guess ’80 to coincide with CFI fueling, but that’s only a guess, and of course it assumes that ones prior to ’80 had the 351w order…
Check this out; now I’m even more confused.http://www.offroaders.com/tech/V8-engine-firing-order.htm
It doesn’t specifically show the older 289/302, so I’m going to look for that.\Update: it’s 15426378
So there are two Ford firing orders,(351/400 is 13726548) but it appears neither are the same as the Chevys and other GM V8s.
The lopo firing order is known to destroy the crank bearings, it takes a mighty long time though, those things can go on and on with a light knock. I know many owners who have driven on a knocking 302 for years with no issues. And of course there’s plenty of stock lopos that still don’t knock to the day! These are ~ still ~ very good engines! They just don’t vibrate at idle. 😀
I too have not heard about the Chevy thing before! Would be curious to learn for sure.
There are 2 Ford SB Windsor firing orders.
289 – 302 @ 1 5 4 2 6 3 7 8
302 HO and 351 @ 1 3 7 2 6 5 4 8
I don’t think any Ford used the Chevy 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2
I just wrote a whole big thing that was 100% wrong. Now I’m mad…
I would say that the knocking thing wasn’t a big factor because, well, it takes a looooong time for the knock to develop, and as I mentioned above, it’ll still run just fine, only with a light knock, for years after diagnosed. Consider that most of these lopos that rolled off the line in the 80s have developed the knock in the 00s. The number I’ve heard in Panther circles is 120k. Not many lopos outside of the fleet service got driven hard enough to get to 120k sooner than a couple decades, and they still kept driving the same after they started to lightly knock. It just wasn’t a huge reliablity issue. Eventually the cancer would do them in, but by then they were what, with the 2nd or 3rd owner… my 2c.
The reason this even gets discussed is that people like us want to hold on to these cars. And so, in box Panther (and to a lesser extent, Mk7) circles the thing that people will recommend is to think about a properly ~ rebuilt ~ HO swap, for long term headache free ownership ~ today ~ when these cars are approaching (or have already celebrated) their big 25th birthday!
Correction – the thing that actually gets more often recommended today, with the traffic being much faster than back in the 80s – is an Explorer engine swap. 😀
The firing orders of the original Chevy small block and Ford small blocks are the same until 1982.
The key to understanding this is that Ford and Chevy number their cylinders differently, AND that in order for the orders to match in your brain, you start at “2” on the Chevy order. The sequence of firing is then identical. Look at the diagrams and you will see it.
In 1982, Ford needed a new cam for the 5.0 Mustang and found that a 351W marine cam had the specs they needed, as long as they changed the firing order. (The 351W had always had this different firing order than other, older small block Fords, helping earn Ford a reputation for being harder than Chevy to keep everything straight in your head.)
So from ’82 onward, the LoPo Fords (and Chevy small blocks!) soldiered on with the original firing order, and the new 302 HO started using the 351w firing order.
The rear two cylinders on the driver’s side on both the Chevy and Ford LoPo small blocks fire consecutively in the old order, putting strain on the bearing back there, or so they say. Most people (judging by my research on this) consider the 302 HO/351W firing order to be superior, including Chevy, who started using it with the LS-series small block in “97 or whenever that was.
What I don’t understand is how old Fords sound so different than old Chevys. A ’65 Mustang sounds a LOT like a ’91 Mustang 5.0, but they have the 2 different firing orders, and neither sounds much like a Chevy. Is it the short stroke of the Ford? Is it that siamesed exhaust port on the Chevy? Hell if I know.
I was going to write an actual post on this, but WordPress was giving me fits because not used to it yet, so rather than throw my laptop through a wall, you get the condensed version here. Paul or Larry or JP or whoever, if you want to play around with my draft and finish it, feel free.
The End.
You have to keep in mind that Ford numbers their cyls with the 1-4 on one side and 5-8 on the other instead of having an odd and even bank like GMs and their number one cyls are on opposite banks. So when you look at actual position not the given numbers the old 289/302 firing order is the same as the SBC. If you start from the same location.
Mr.Tactful and Scoutdude: Thanks. That explains it perfectly. One more of life’s mysteries solved.
You might want to pick up the latest issue of Collectible Automobile. There is a feature article on the ’83-’88 T-Birds with lots of pictures.
Wow, it’s amazing you posted this. I think this might be my first automotive love. I remember being like 6 or 7 years old and having the special Matchbox car with the little spec card that came with it. I wanted one so badly when I was little. Now? I don’t know. Seeing that picture makes me think about it again, but I may have moved on…
With cars as with women, I seem to not really get over the ones I like. And I mean, I don’t lose that sense of infatuation once I’ve acquired it.
I’ll take it the title of this outtake is a question? I’ll answer. The Mark has pretty much been an obsession for years now. Even in the maintenance-free periods (which do happen more often than one’d think) unlike all normal people (who would enjoy such worry-free stretches and just drive), I find myself tweaking something, maybe doing some mods, chasing down that absolutely non-critical electrical bug, or (gasp!) reading a book on the EEC-IV, or the EVTM. There’s no hope for me I’m afraid. Stick a fork.
As an engine note junkie, I just had an orgasm over this DKW. How could something so small be so burly and masculine…. sigh
On the total opposite of that I’ve been obsessed with Volkswagen Dashers lately. Weird.
Dasher, AKA gen 1 Passat. I always thought they were cool, though certainly not the last word in reliability. With a modern TDI and six-speed plus a few suspension bits it would really rock though. I always liked the look of the 5 door hatch best…
🙂
There were two back to back on Bring A Trailer a few weeks ago. a diesel and a gas one. It just made me realize there’s really no lightweight compact wagons anymore. Except for the Jetta wagons, really, on sale in the US.
Volvo still offers the V50 wagon, although rarely seen. Our local dealer sells about five new ones a year.
HA. They sell so slowly I forgot they existed. Although I had a Non Turbo one as a rental 5 years ago and found it extremely endearing. Although used ones are still not within my budget.
I think when it comes to Volvo wagons the appeal of a old 740 Turbo with a 302 Crate Motor sounds like more fun to me. Come on fat tax return…..
I have a 2006, that’s why I know they exist. You definitely don’t see yourself on the road all the time. My dad had a bright red ’88 740 Turbo sedan, which was traded for my avatar a week before Thanksgiving, 1990.
Here’s the photo…
My 740 GLE was a body twin minus the turbo and four eyes. Still a Red Block though. Awesome cars, Your dad had good taste!
Not anymore – when the ones on dealer lots are gone, they’re gone. No more V50 (or S40) after this year.
I’m still cautiously, or perhaps delusionally, optimistic that Saab will hang on long enough to build me a new gen manual-transmission 9-5 wagon that I can buy used in ten years to replace my present twelve-year-old 9-5 wagon…
Sorry man.
The video is intoxicating, as are some of the suggestions afterward. I definitely see the appeal.
But, to answer the question the vehicles I get stuck on a lot are the ’63-’91 Jeep Wagoneer, the Civic CRX, the first-gen Scion xB, any car made between 1949 and 1956, any Nash, Corvairs, early Falcons/Comets, early Valiant/Lancers, Caterham 7s, Various Morgan-inspired 3-wheeled kit cars, front-engined MG-TC/TD/TF kit cars, front-engined Jaguar SS-100 kit cars, most any 3-wheeled kit car, most Convertibles, the new Chrysler 300 with the eight-speed ZF trans and the smaller “hemi” V8 with cylinder deactivation, and the Touareg with the 3.6L TDI and that same ZF 8 speed.
I’m pretty sure I left a few out…
Every since driving a hand-me-down ’70 Karmann Ghia in college, I’ve been obsessed with them. Excellent handing for a rear engined vehicle, stunning bodywork and styling, old german quality assembly, and VW reliability and fuel efficiency. The only thing missing was performance-which I addressed with the help of my JC Whitney catalog. “A sheep in wolf’s clothing” VW proudly proclaimed in one of their famous ads. Mine was cream yellow and looked EXACTLY like this one:
Wheeler Dealers Karmann Ghia
I saw one at my neighborhood grocery store with a $5000 For Sale sign. It was nice, but it’s not something I would normally be interested in.
I tried driving a Karmann Ghia (drop top) once. Once..
It was a neighbors and he just got it going. I made it about a block and had to let him take over. VW built the only motor vehicle I cannot drive…
Ahem :
Yes, I’ve been diagnosed with a severe case of AADD (Automotive Attention Deficit Disorder).
Me too, and it’s only worsened by the fact that a). It’s been so long since I bought a car (2001 – my truck was bought in 2006 but it was out of what my exwife had convinced me was neccesity not need.) b.) The cars I truly loved the most have been unfairly taken from me (1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme – stolen Thanksgiving weekend 2000 in Detroit, MI: 1997 Ford Escort LX wagon – lost in a divorce) c.) I’ve finally reached a point in my life where I can afford an object of my desire (after my July wedding that is) and d.) I finally have a supportive partner who wants me to make myself happy.
My automotive lust bounces around – I was enamored enough of the idea of a 2nd Gen H-body Bonneville project car to write that series about what could have been but now I can’t swear that when the time comes that’s what I’d pick for a big sedan. In the sedan category I’m lusting after 2nd gen H-bodys, GM B-body, Chrysler M-body, W-body’s with 3.6 ltrs or greater, loaded Panthers (mostly Town Cars), Cadillac DTS & STS with V8s, LX cars with the Hemi, the mid to late 70s GM/Ford/Chrysler land yachts with no hp but trunk-loads of torque, and V8 RWD Japanese luxury sedans! I don’t even think with a lotto win I’d have enough room for all that!
Coupes? Mustangs (05 & up mostly), 1979-1987 G-body GM, and then I quickly turn Japanese with the RX8 and the not even on the market yet Subaru BRZ! Kinda makes your head spin… Which is why I’m starting to think what I need is a new to newish coupe first and then after it’s nearly paid off go pay a few grand cash for a Detroit Dinosaur to satisfy my cravings.
I find with me the lust starts in strange ways, like the local GMC/Buick dealer has a 1999 Town Car and a 2003 Crown Victoria sitting on his lot right now and I drive past two to three times a week gawking to see if they’re still there. I’ve even “test driven” them cause he’ll let me borrow the keys while his boys are changing the oil my truck. Sigh…
Trucks? Sorry I’ve got one, don’t need another. Convertibles? Only a certain 1967 Mustang holds my interest. Thanks for letting me ramble but sometimes I think I’m the only one aflicted with this disease.
I think AADD is why we’re all here to begin with. It’s a support group that moves fast enough to keep us from just going out and buying the first shiny thing we see..
Thinking of 80s G bodies.. It would be pretty cool to run across an 86 only Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe!
‘I finally have a supportive partner who wants me to make myself happy.”
Congrats!!! I’ve yet to see what that’s like, lol. As for the cars – that’s a very very worthy list. I can’t wait to see which one makes the cut as, well, the One.
Which would make it two Ones. Now that’s more like it. 🙂
Ed, be fair to your first wife. She took your Escort. That should have made you happy.
Her I don’t miss. The Escort wagon, I miss. Especially since the wagon would be at an age now (my income at a spot) where as things failed from age I could replace them with higher performance parts. When the transmission went on that car I had my trans guy rebuild it to be more responsive and closer to Mazda’s sport specs than Fords “fuel economy at any cost” specs.
I also loved the carrying capacity of that car, I brought a CRT 32 in TV home in that sucker, still inside the box, without folding the seats down. The only thing that car needed was more power and a tighter suspension.
My current obsession is window-shopping for a suitable V8 for a V8 conversion for my 280ZX. You used to be able to find hordes of cheap RWD donors on Craigslist. I don’t know if it’s just the natural progression of time, but they’re just not around anymore. I’m branching out my search looking for totaled Lexus or Infiniti donor cars.
Someday. 🙁
Why not try transplanting a wrecked Taurus SHO V-8?
I’m adding that to my list. I thought the Tauraus was FWD… I’d have to find some kind of RWD conversion kit.
I thought the Yamaha V8 was a horrible zero interference chain snappy V8, hence why I haven’t seen any of the last SHOs on sale in 5 years…..
I know the SHO v6 can use the Mazda 5 speed from a Super Coupe and 4.2l powered F-150. Not sure on the SHO v8.
I have to add another for my AADD.
I thought I lost all pics after the big D but a quick visit to a forum I used to be a member at got me excited as a kid on an easter egg hunt!
My 85 Omni. It had an 86 GLHS engine, Mopar stage II logic module, trans from an 87 or so Daytona and the boost up at 13psi. In the pic you can barely make out the 3″ exhaust peeking out in front of the rear tire.
It was mean. A very mean car. And addictive, at one point I had 4 of them in the back lot.. Sorry, I’m pretty chuffed here.
Bill here is working on a GLH right now. Keeps trying to get me to help him
Help him! It’s a fairly easy formula.
1. L body
2. Turbo 2.2
2a. 555 or 523 transmission
3. intercooler
4. good brain box
5. 3″exhaust
6. 13-14 PSI
6a. MP or Cometic head gasket
7. Show Challengers, Mustangs and Camaros what’s what..
7. sticky tires (drag radials preferred)
I like the way you think!
I think maybe a K-based New Yorker would be even more sleepery, and I always wanted someone to talk to me as I drive, so the voice alert thing would be nice…
Sadly it’s not my formula.
That will get you 11s or darn close in an L body. If the suspension, body and tires are up to it you’ll whack 130 to 135 mph flat out.
I can tell you “flat out” will leave skid marks somewhere.
Paul, I feel your pain! The video makes it much, much worse. There’s nothing like the sound of a two-stroke car. The sound of “a thousand model airplanes going down the street.” I’ve had this infatuation since first hearing Saabs as a kid. Bought a hopeless DKW Jr. as written last week. In spite of their seriously noxious fumes, and their tendency to seize up. They burn oil on purpose. But, but… Seven Moving Parts!
My current automotive obsession is obvious: cars that run on current! One Moving Part! This photo is from the web, not my garage, but sometime next year…
I’ll take that craziness one step further. If I had infinite cash reserves, I’d build a 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood with a steam turbine (powered by a hydrogen fuel cell) and continuously variable transmission. Huge and luxurious? Check. Environmentally friendly? Check. Has a power source that can be quickly refueled? Check. As powerful as a combustion engine? Check. Looks and sounds like it has a jet engine onboard? Check.
A close second would be a 1948 Hudson Commodore with fuel injection, air conditioning, retractable headrests, three point seat belts, and all the other modern safety/comfort/efficiency features. Maybe I’d use the 5.7 V8 engine from a Roadmaster, but on the other hand I think I might prefer the standard straight 8.
And then, of course, I think it might be fun to put an electric engine into a classic compact, like the 1959 Rambler American my parents have buried in their garage.
That Rambler would be a sweet EV. Surprisingly there’s no Ramblers at the EV Album, just Metropolitans.
A steam-powered Cadillac would be fabulous. No need for a transmission, steam engines have flat torque across the range.
While we’re dreaming, how about a nuclear Cadillac? http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20100035-48/is-a-nuclear-powered-car-in-our-future/
You’ve read my mind. The original idea was a compact fusion reactor instead of a hydrogen fuel cell powering the steam boiler, but since that is still pure science fiction at the moment I made it a bit more realistic.
Also, from what I understand, turbine engines (both gas and steam) have terrible economy at low revs and outstanding economy at high revs, so a CVT transmission should (according to my vague understanding of engineering) allow the engine to idle flat out while the transmission itself “revs” up, allowing great economy all the time. Of course, you could just use a piston engine like the old Stanley steamers, but then it wouldn’t sound like a jet engine, and what’s the fun in that?
The Jaguar C-X75 is the car for you. Almost in the real world. Twin gas turbines power a hybrid electric drive:
http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2010/10/01/the-amazing-jaguar-c-x75-concept-hybrid-uses-gas-turbines-rather-than-a-piston-engine-to-recharge-batteries/
I’ve heard of that one, but the luddite in me just doesn’t really want to drive an electric car, especially when the batteries are charged by gas engines, essentially negating the benefits of electricity (I know it’s more complicated than that, but I’m generalizing). I do find it very cool that there is a renewed interests in turbines again, though.
AADD…well put. I have a severe case, to be sure. I sat down with a notebook a while back and wrote down everything I’d be even remotely interested in having. This list isn’t exhaustive: Saab 99 turbo, Saab 900 SPG hatch, ’64-’65 Barracuda (273, stick), ’64-’68 Imperial hardtop, ’65-’66 New Yorker, MGB GT, Volvo 740 Turbo Intercooler, ’66-’67 Toronado, Rover SD1 3500, Citroen SM, ’66 Charger, Rover P5B, Lancia Thema 8.32, non-letter ’66-’68 Chrysler 300, first generation Mercury Cougar, any Thunderbird up to about 1969, and so on.
Not unlike MikePDX, I’d love to do an electric conversion at some point. A friend’s father and brother recently converted a Mazda MX-3 to electric. The only problem is the seriously short range — they can only go about 5 miles before it runs out of juice.
Their electric MX-3 must be using lead-acid batteries, and only a few of them at that. The typical lead-acid conversion has about ten big deep-cycle batteries to get 120V, and 20-30 mile range, partly because it’s so heavy.
Now that much lighter lithium batteries have come down in price, to match the lead batteries in cost-per-mile, that’s the only way to go. I’m planning to use 32 160 amp-hour lithium-iron-phosphate cells in a 108V pack in the Miata. That should end up close to its factory weight, and give me 60 mile range, which is plenty for my daily 35 mile round-trip commute.
I wonder if your friends are looking at lithiums? A great thing about DIY electric cars is you can make radical changes like lead-to-lithium on your own.
The electric conversion is something I think about from time to time when looking at Comets and 65 Mustangs on CL. They are super light and having manual steering is common. With the 63 up cars a big disc and V8 rear drums will make for a braking system more than capable of handling the additional weight. I also consider a early Scout 2wd Cabtop EV.
A 50 mile range would give me a nice cushion, I’ve got access to 220 at the shop and so I could possibly get away with only charging at work.
Sounds perfect. With a Scout or a light V8 car that can handle the weight like you say, you could even start with lead-acids which are cheap and easy, and more forgiving than lithiums.
I don’t see any Scouts at evalbum.com, yours could be the first. Here’s a nice Mustang with the Trojan lead batteries most people use: http://www.evalbum.com/98 There are several other Mustangs at that site with lithiums.
Go for it!
That’s pretty much exactly my concept, down to exploiting the that they don’t have a trunk floor to put some of the batteries there w/o intruding on the trunk, and that long hood to hide some more. That would also help with the weight distribution.
I also like the Falcon.
For now it is going to have to wait though. Hopefully in the next year or two I’ll get my shop built and then I can start on some of my more ambitious projects.
This AADD probably explains why I have owned about 30 different cars during the past 40 years. Now that I am retired and certainly not rich, I am pretty much content to view what I like online. Good transport is still needed though and the Volvo V70 pictured below was purchased in July. Both my wife and I are quite enamored of this car especially after the enjoyable road trip from Naples, FL to California in August. This is a 2007 model, the last before a slight downsize that reduced the front leg room. We looked at a 2008 and didn’t like it as well. It is a great cruiser as well as a great hauler for our 2 year old and one year old grandchildren that we take care of Monday through Friday. This is my first Volvo and possibly the last car I will ever need to buy since I live in two very temperate climates.
Hmmm. Out in the barn are a ’62 sunroof Beetle, ’63 sedan Beetle and a ’50 International L-170.
Son Number Two and I are rebuilding the two Type 1’s (pan-up), and the Binder will eventually get some attention and become a hay-hauler (cut and baled with a ’50 8N, of course!).
Sounds good to me! Especially a sunroof.
These two will be my forth and fifth VWs. First was a ’71 bus (painted like a WWII B-17 bomber), then a ’64 sedan I drove in Atlanta rush hour traffic for six years (yikes!), then the Y2K bug (’00 TDI New Beetle, decaled like Herbie) that is my daily driver.
As long as you know the (trailing throttle oversteer) limits, the old Beetles can be driven with vigor (all 40 horses of it!). When we towed the ’63 home last summer, I had the biggest grin on my face all the way, in anticipation of being back in a vintage beetle…
The one other car I would love to have again (to relive my youth? or perhaps I’m just a glutton for punishment?) would be a pristine ’71 Vega notchback (my first car), set up with a one-barrel carb 2300 (sleeved) and headers, and all the suspension mods I had on my car back in the day (car sounded and handled really nice). I doubt there’s even one left out there in that condition at this point – the only survivors I ever see listed have massive V8s in them (mine ended up with a Buick 3.8L before I was done with it, too).
Im still wrenching on my old Hillman it thanked me for fitting a series4 sycro gearbox by blowing the headgasket on a test flight the floor shift works great all the lost motion of the finger tip control tree shift are gone and having helical cut 1st means no more snatching whing noise in 1st and reverse Now the heads off but the pistons have no slop and Ive got another head with new valves all lapped in ready to go just need to unearth a H/gasket and bolt it back together
Current obsessions:
Tatra
Skoda
C-6 Corvette
Anything AMC
Jeep Wagoneer
My obsessions, these days,come and go with the wind – I’m not able to indulge any of them in my current straits; so I’m all the freer to dream wild and crazy. And by “crazy” I don’t mean Porsche or Lotus – I mean, stark raving mad.
Winter is coming. So my first thought is for the Winter Car – traditionally a beater; but as I get older and walking back in a snowstorm is less and less appealing, I’d want something substantially sound.
This week I saw it: A new guy at the plant, came up in a Ford Ranger 4×4 – with the pickup bed removed and a homemade (well-made) flatbed in its place. PERFECT!
Why? I can hear you snicker. Here’s why: Anyone who’s put tire chains on a vehicle will appreciate the value of having open rear wheels. And anyone who’s watched a car rust out from impacted salty slush, will appreciate having the drive-chassis in the rear, naked – shrouded only marginally by 2×4 planking.
Anyone who’s ever driven a pickup truck in the snow, knows why it needs lots and lots of WEIGHT on the back. And anyone who’s tried LOADING that truck, knows what a problem that weight can cause, if it shifts or is damaged by the weather.
A cab-and-chassis is open to creative weighting solutions: how about, cut lengths of old rail? Which I can get free for the asking. Just need to find a way to fasten it to the frame…steel cabling and turnbuckles ought to do it. At 132 pounds a foot, cut into three-foot lengths, you’d only need two pieces.
A cab and chassis with four-wheel-drive, will go just about ANYWHERE. If you can’t go nose-over that pile plowed onto your driveway, with those chains you should be able to BACK over it.
And, a cab-and-chassis will be of minimal emotional value – so when it falls apart into big sheets of rust, you won’t care.
But…there ya have it. In times past, I’ve fantasized about everything from a VW Fox shooting-brake to a CJ to a 1972 Suburban, to a flat-front Chevy Van (still do want that one)…but right now, my thoughts are of being able to go-go-go! in the snow. At minimal cost.
I never thought about a flat bed, at least a high one making it easier to throw chains on. On the other hand with my 4×4’s I usually put them on the front first.
On the front is fine, if you’re in a situation. On the other hand, if the situation is two feet of snow and twenty miles to work…chains on the rear; save the ball joints; save the tie-rod ends.
And…if you’re going to skid, you want to skid the FRONT wheels. If the front tires slide, you just go forward. If the rears break free, you go ’round and ’round…where you stop, nobody knows.
Hmm. strangely right now it’s Jeep YJs.
My friend…no price is too high, once you want a Jeep; and ANY amount is too much. The two happiest days of your life are going to be, when you drive it home; and when someone takes it off your hands.
A Jeep is a pet. A demanding, sometimes bad-natured pet. With all the expenses entailed…
The Cherokee that used to be my avatar proved that.Jeeps are addictive.
Like a boat. The happiest day of your life is when you finally get it, Second happiest is when you sell it… Unless you get twofootitis.. Then you’re lost for good.
There’s a window sticker on a Four Runner a block away:
I understand the Jeep thing. That’s why I drive a Toyota.
LMAO!
As a onetime Jeeper who owns a Toyota…ohgawd, do I get it!
When I worked at Chrysler, we joked that Jeep meant, “Just empty every pocket.”
Also, we said they were called “Grand Cherokees” because every time an GC owner came in, we’d take him/her for at least a grand.
After a couple months of searching, two weeks ago I bought a 1967 F100. Now that I’ve got it cleaned up a bit I’m making a mental inventory of what it eventually needs (driver’s cab corner and inner front fender) and poking around for things it really doesn’t (an original radio – the sound of the straight six is music enough). Maybe that means I need a radio delete plate?
Sadly, I had to park my ’68 F-100 (“small six”) this summer due to “death by a thousand cuts.” It’s in the back of the barn with enough parts from a donor truck to bring back to life, but time and budget are a bit short, so a ’95 F-150 4×4 (“big six”) is the successor for now.
Here’s to enough time and scratch to get the ’68 back on the road. That ’95 will do everything it can (and more, most likely), but the charm is what makes the older trucks such treasured companions.
detlef: welcome to the club! ’67 is a very nice year indeed; the 240 still had the higher compression heads. What transmission do you have? Probably the three on the tree? And here’s a pic of my radio delete plate. My son (Ed) grew up thinking that’s what a “dashboard” was. Have fun.
I had wondered about the heads – thanks for answering that one. I have the non-overdrive three/tree, plus manual brakes, choke, and steering. Since I commute in it occasionally I really should probably upgrade to power brakes, but I think I’ll leave the steering, which I’ve grown to like. I’d love to locate a T-85, but right now I’m having a ball. First three/tree I’ve driven since Dad’s ’47 Pontiac.
That delete plate really warms up the cabin!
Mine originally had the non-OD three speed. When it wore out, I put in the T-85. There was a price to pay for the OD: the T-85 is non-syncro in first gear. I hadn’t thought about that when I decided on it. Oh well; I got used to it, eventually.
The steering isn’t too bad, especially if you have decent quality radials up there that aren’t too wide. I know the power brake upgrade is popular, but truth be told, it won’t ultimately make your brakes any less fade resistant. When they fade, no booster is going to make them come back to life.
If I was going to make a brake upgrade, it would be right to discs, which is fairly easy off a mid-late seventies F100. I don’t drive in enough fast traffic to be bothered.
I was actually surprised the truck handles highway speeds as well as it does, but you’re right about discs being the proper upgrade. I live in extreme deer country (Wisconsin) and drive across the state to visit the homeland (Minnesota) occasionally, and with the current arrangement if I make that trip at night I would easily out-drive my headlights.
I can probably live without a synchro on 1st, particularly if it means splitting the upper gears. Is the O/D switch on the dash? I have one empty position next to the choke currently filled with a chrome plate, and have been wondering if that was for the O/D switch or something like a PTO switch for heavier duty models.
I only have two words for you on the steering: “bump steer.” (c:
That twin I-beam front end rides wonderfully on smooth pavement, but even small potholes will send you for the ditch toot-sweet!
My truck has the automatic, but everything else is manual. Before I retired it, I regularly hauled full hay racks (2-3 tons), and have scaled out at the landfill with a bit over a ton on several occasions (which I would be hesitant to do in the ’95 replacement). I’ve thankfully never experienced brake fade, and find the non-power drums to be more than adequate even with those kinds of loads.
My biggest challenge will be getting them off to rebuild the brakes if/when I am able to try to rebuild the truck. I tried a couple years ago just to check lining wear, and they wouldn’t budge, so I left ’em – they were still stopping the truck, after all!
I don’t know about the switch location. My installation is not anything like stock, since it’s set up to run manually with a little toggle switch, once OD is enabled. The stock OD works “automatically”; when OD is enabled, then it engages if you let you gas up above a certain speed. And I don’t think that happens in second gear, although I just might be wrong.
With my setup, I have more control, and can engage OD in any of the gears. First OD isn’t worth it, because it’s too close to second, but I will use it if there’s a stop at the next block, instead of shifting.
I use second OD very often, as it perfectly slots between first and third. Very handy for in town.
These trucks handle highway speeds just fine. I drove mine between Oregon and Bay Area numerous times, hauling a trailer too. Rolls very happily at 70 or so, especially with the OD (1800 rpm @ 60 mph). I’ve rolled along at 80+ once or twice. The only complaint now is how noisy the cab is at speed, since mine has lost what very little sound insulation it ever had. And my ears are now very sensitive. So I don’t take it on longer trips unless I need to.
That overdrive must make all the difference, either that or you have a better axle ratio than I had. My 63 F-100 had the 6 and a 4 speed stick – granny low but no OD. Although it was a long time ago, I recall that the truck was not all that at home on interstate highways – the old 6 seemed not all that happy at those higher speeds. Not sure how fast I was going, as the speedo needle had a bad habit of flailing around all over the guage, usually reading in some vague and variable range well in excess of actual speed. Your steering box must be tighter than mine was, too.
It has the 3.70 gears. Even before I swapped in the OD tranny, it was quite happy to scoot along, and in the early years of my ownership (1980’s) it spent a fair amount of time on the freeways of the Bay Area.
A couple of things: the 240 six came out in 1965, and was/is quite zippy compared to the old six. It’s considered one of the best breathing sixes, has a 9.2 compression ratio, and is rated at 150 gross/129 net hp. That’s more than quite a few malaise era V8s. Ihad several folks that borrowed it be surprised that it had “just a six” in it.
Also, I do think the twin-beam front end is an improvement on the old solid axle. Steering: typical for old Detroit iron. Too much play, but I’m used to that.
I drove a friend’s late model F-250 recently, with 5.4 Triton and 300 hp. It was not zippy at all and drove and handled like an overweight barge.
That is because it is an overweight barge.
Lately I’ve really gotten into 1961 Imperials, probably because I recently got a ’61 brochure. The 1961 should have come out in ’59, it would have given Cadillac a run for its money in wildness. And no, that’s not a CHRYSLER Imperial, thank you very much!
Cars that (regardless of ACTUAL vehicular merit) I always look at and to varying degrees have always wanted to own, in no particular order:
93 Chrysler Imperial with everything, including the air suspension which will assplode
Chrysler LHS of any year
Plymouth Reliant 2.2 as a beater city/winter car
Early ’91s S10 extended cab in excellent stock condition with a pristine, bone stock 350/700r4 combo in place of the 4.3
’96 Dodge Dakota LE RWD ext cab with the Magnum 318/auto
’77 Continental Mark V Bill Blass (the navy/white) and no porthole on wires
’85 Caddy Seville Eleganté with a 403 Olds in place of boat anchor 4.1
’70 Chevrolet Impala 2-door 454
’48 Hudson in mild street rod trim (maybe the sexiest family car of that era?)
’89 Grand Prix SE (my first car)
’87 Chevy Siverado shortwide, black, every option possible
’91 Suburban Silverado 4×4 6.2 diesel, red over cream, rear lifted 2″ to make the damn thing sit level like it should have to begin with
’93 Mustang 5.0 LX notchback, 10-hole alloys, black on black, 100% stock except for Konis and requisite Flowmaster 40s
’89 Pontiac 6000 STE AWD in medium garnet red
’96 Corvette with the electronic suspension (they actually ride decent that way)
’93 Corrado VR6, terrible car, but unbelieveably fun to drive
’69 Imperial, very underrated car
’66 Galaxie 2 door
’92 Mark VII LSC in Darth Vader’s outfit and a BIG blower, because F*CK Grand Nationals
I could go on like this all night, but you now get a small glimpse of how ate up I am.
There’s LSC’s out there yet that need a good home, including black on black ’90-’92 SE’s. Come to the dark side, you know you want to. 😀 …Throw in a whole truck engine with Cobra heads and a MAF conversion to boot, and THEN a blower on top. Oh, and a 3.73 rear end, and a shiftkit on the AOD. Living in IL you can lose the smog stuff too. Now THAT’s F*CK Grand Nationals 😀
Seriously though, you’ve just become my hero with that ’85 Seville wishlist entry. I’ve always liked that style for a 4-door. Slanted rear may have something to do with it, lol. Just like you, the “engine” part has always stopped me. I pretty much concluded that I’d end up doing a transplant… But it’s just such an elegant head turner.
For the Blass Mark V, now THERE’s a prime candidate for a transplant!!! Those things ~ could ~ be woken up!!! :O
Psssssssssssss… guys if you buy a 1980 Seville or a 1979-80 Eldorado you get the Cadillac 6ltr engine, yeah it says V4-6-8 on the side but that system is easily defeatable. Much simpler than an engine transplant.
Dan, I thought about it. A computer transplant and some rewiring? ~ That ~ is a very tempting thought. Not being a GM guy I’m not even remotely aware how much rewiring and part swapping we’re talking about though.
Seville HELL Project – hmmm, that ALREADY sounds appealing!!! 😀
Ummmm actually you can install a switch on the dash that will turn the deactivation system on and off. The biggest problem with the system was that it was very JERKY when Cadillac customers expected smooooooooooooooooooth. So you could leave the system there, install a switch to turn it on and off if you find it useful.
Temptation. How are those engines for basic part supply and affordability as daily drivers today? Otherwise, it might be worth to just throw in a fuel injected 350 and call it a day.
Well Mr. Tactful makes a good point, the bell housing on that three speed FWD trans in the V4-6-8 Caddy would accept any other big block Caddy V8, so you might just say that parts availability doesn’t matter. Now when I was a kid, Hot Rod Magazine ran a few stories on how to make more hp with those engines and how to get performance parts but that was 20 years ago. I have no idea what those parts would be like now.
I know that, but the ’80’s grille is too gaudy even for me, it has only the 3-speed auto, and if I was going to have that bellhousing a 472 or 500 would replace the 368.
I also almost always prefer the final year of any particular body style over the first.
Only the 81’s are 4-6-8 368cid engines, the 1980 ones are the same engine with out the modular displacement.
” because F*CK Grand Nationals”
I laughed so hard..
+1 on the LX Notchback. Keep mine stone stock though.
I also forget, given the number of Falcons in my Neighborhood that I really want a 1962 or 63 for some reason, or a Comet or maybe a Meteor. The 1963 Meteor I caught at that car show in August was for sale about a month ago. I think I could tolerate a 260 and a Cruise-o-matic, couldn’t be much slower than a M110 Benz 6 through a automatic, right?
And the 260 probably gets better mileage to boot….
(edit) as I go to see if it’s for sale still, there’s this: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2687300205.html
Anyone got a wrecked Vulcan V6 Ranger or Aerostar?
And this one is for Paul: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/2682484115.html
Nice Comet.
The 260 is a nice motor, but unless I’m wrong, in ’63 it was still teamed with the FordOMatic.
You shouldn’t have shown me that 403! Just as I’m barely getting over the Deek.
Yeah, I think that’s right. There was an overpriced S-33 Coupe for sale for months on Craigslist that said it had the 260 and the 2 speed Ford-O-Matic. I don’t know why a Ford 2 speed automatic doesn’t make me cringe as much as Powerglide. Maybe because it seems the Ford Small Blocks I’ve heard with them don’t seem to be hollering for dear life.
My most recent one?
An old I6 pickup, SUV, or van.
I blame this entirely on the CC site.
Ha!
I’ve been thinking a 300-6 would fit nicely in my Lincoln because I have to lean too far into the engine bay to do anything on the V8. The plugs are up nice and high on the 6, I’d have room to…I’m not sure what on either side of the engine…
I had not traced this sick train of thought to CC, but now that you mention it…dammit, Paul!
Dude! Wait til you have a Mark VII, you will LOVE your Panther bay. Friggin EVERYTHING has to come out of the way on any semi involved project. And while the plugs can (have to be) gotten to without pulling stuff, plug No 8 is NO fun… yes, I’ve broken it.
Every time I see a Panther bay on one of my friends’ cars it’s like – look at all that SPACE!!! I was watching a friend swap lopo plugs on a Colony Park, took him maybe… 5 minutes to remove them all? 5 minutes to install new ones. Arghhhh!!!!!!! 😀
Yeah, yeah, but I have to lean WAY in there to do stuff. After a while my sternum gets all bruised up, and I don’t like having to worry about putting too much weight on the fiberglass header panel in front or taking a hood ornament to the goob! Thank god that thing is spring loaded (the ornament.)
The TC has about 6 more inches of fake luxury in front of the engine you have to account for, and the bumper sticks out further, and the grille is higher. Yes, the area immediately surrounding the engine is roomy, its getting to it that is a PITA.
Yes, the hood ornament. See, yet another reason why you and an LSC SE were meant for each other. 😉
“Fake luxury” – nice, i love it!! (both the comment and the fake luxury). 😀
I’m pretty sure Paul bears 80% of the responsibility for the 240-6 that has come to live in my driveway. I had little interest in old Ford pickups until I started reading about his years ago, and the bug finally got serious this summer.
Does that thing have a cab visor? I love those things. I want one for my car!
It does, indeed – a Lund visor installed so long ago the patina matches the rest of the truck. A blessing on westbound afternoons.
As usual, I’m late to this party, but my current and past automotive obsession has always been my avatar – the 1964 Chevy Impala SS covertible I owned when in the service 40 years ago (1969-1973). The reason? Well, it happened that my wife, whom I didn’t meet until 1975, owned almost the same car at the same time I owned mine! Both were Goldwood yellow, Impalas. The difference? Minw was an SS, hers was not. Mine had a black top, hers was white. If I had a scanned photo of hers, I’d included it here, but take my word for it.
Who knew that those cars would be virtually unaffordable, for we researched these some years ago, but my eye issue arose and put everything on hold for a year.
Still, dreaming is free!
If you have AADD, I’ve got AADHD. To name just a few current obsessions: The 1962 Valiant hardtop (with a roofline so wrong it’s right again), 1962 Dodge Polara (I’ve always thought it was hideous, and in a way I still do, but I saw one in a back alley a couple months ago and have been obsessed ever since), 1963 Oldsmobile F-85 hardtop (non-Cutlass version), 1965 Pontiac LeMans hardtop, 1966 Oldsmobile F-85 hardtop sedan (non-Cutlass again, I just love the name “F-85”) 1968 Rambler American, 1968 Ford Fairlane, 1970 Ford Torino Brougham hardtop sedan, 1970 Plymouth Valiant, 1978 Ford Fairmont, and 1981 Plymouth Reliant. That’s in addition to my long term obsessions, the 1948 Hudson, 1949 Nash, 1957 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, 1958 DeSoto, 1960 Dodge Polara, any 1960s Buick Electra, 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood hardtop, 1962 Mercury Monterey, 1963 Ford Galaxie, 1966 Chevrolet Corvair sedan, 1967 Imperial LeBaron, 1971 Buick Riviera, 1973 Imperial LeBaron, and 1973 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight. And then the standard never-going-to-happen dream cars, the 1948 Tucker, 1956 Continental Mark II, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, and Chrysler Turbine Car.
If I had enough money to buy every car that I’m really interested in (within reason), my collection would be orders of magnitude larger than Jay Leno’s. What makes it even worse is that my interests lie on the opposite end of the curve from the usual classic car market. Apart from the 1964 Plymouth Barracuda, 1965 Rambler Marlin, and 1966 Dodge Charger, I don’t care for muscle cars, and other than a few odd Rivieras and Continentals I’m not that interested in personal luxury cars. What I like best is hardtop four-door sedans and base model compacts. Almost exclusively I’m only interested in the cheapest classic cars available. For the price that some people pay for one Plymouth Superbird, I could get a good 20 or so “twenty-footer” classics from my list. It doesn’t make a difference now while I’m in college, but once I graduate and have a real job with a disposable income, I’m going to have an extremely hard time not buying up every $4,000 Ford Galaxie and Plymouth Fury I come across.
Also, I’ve recently been doing a lot of research into what kind of car I should buy as a daily driver once I graduate, and I’ve become fascinated by the 1990s. At the time I was too young to really be interested in any of the cars apart from the 1991-96 Caprice, which I’ve always loved, but along with the usual Caprices, Roadmasters, and Fleetwoods I’ve been interested in many others, like the 1989-92 Chrysler New Yorker/Imperial, first generation Buick Park Avenue, final generation Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, Oldsmobile Acheiva (which looks like a pocket sized Ninety-Eight), Buick Century, Plymouth Acclaim, and the Chrysler cab forward cars (I’d bet I’m the only one on the planet who thinks it would be a great idea to buy a first generation Chrysler Sebring and replace all the body panels and interiors with those from a Plymouth Breeze). I only like cars with bench seats and column shifters (I wouldn’t be completely opposed to a center console, but I can’t stand floor shifters), and its surprising to me that just over a decade ago there were hardly any cars that weren’t available with bench seats. I think I’ll end up with a Ninety-Eight, Park Avenue, or a good old Panther, but there are just so many other 1990s cars that appeal to me lately (hey, I could start a collection while they are cheap and then cash in in 50 years).
Also, to get back to the original video, I prefer the suicide door hardtop, though this particular car still looks very interesting. I hate what’s been done to it, though. The dollar bill roof/interior is one of the most tacky things I have ever seen in my life, and the red headlights don’t help things either.
And of course, those are all post-war models. If you want to talk pre-war then that adds in countless Duesenbergs, Pierce-Arrows, Marmons, Ruxtons, Packards, Studebakers, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Vikings, LaSalles, Cadillac V16s, Auburns, REOs, Oaklands, DeSotos, Chryslers, Marquettes, Lincolns, and more.
My current automotive obsession is the 1991-2005 Acura NSX. What a timeless car! I remember Automobile Magazine’s eulogy in 2005, comparing the NSX to the music of the Rolling Stones.
Others I have had:
1993-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, and the 1992-2002 Eldorado
1992-2000 Lexus SC300/400
Lots of 70s/80s/90s Mercedes, especially the 190E Cosworth.
1970-1972 Chevrolet Camaro
1970s VW Super Beetles
1936-1937 Cord Model 810
1963-1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
1990 Audi Coupe Quattro/S2, the forgotten little hatchback.
1984-1992 Lincoln Mark VII
1964-1972 Pontiac GTO
…and probably lots more that I can’t remember!
Well in addition to IH’s, aero Panthers, and the aforementioned Comets. I cruise CL looking for Cougars, early Mustangs, Mark VI 2drs.
Recently though I’ve been checking out ZX2’s. It goes against all my normal requirements. Only drives the wrong wheels, it’s missing 4cyls and lacks a proper frame. On the other hand the Crown Vic really needs some tie rods, 4 not so cheap tires, and only gets 18mpg in normal commuting. The Scouts of course do much worse at 11-12MPG. I figure it should pay for itself in about 2 years.
I’m a long-time reader and first time commenter. Thanks for starting this great site Paul. I’ve really enjoyed reading about all of the cars.
Perhaps due to my early years living by the Mississippi, I’ve always harbored after giant boaty cars, and keep having the misfortune of running into cheap ones in great shape. This summer alone, I was tempted by a 1969 Mark III, 72′ “Boat Tail”‘ Riviera, 67′ Electra 224, 74′ Continental, 49′ Buick Special, 64′ Fairlane, 96′ Roadmaster Wagon, and most recently a 66’ Galaxie 500.
My imagination gets away from me as I visualize cruising down the interstate with all four windows down in the slightly bedraggled-looking Galaxie 500 hardtop with the “For Sale” sign that I pass on my daily commute, and only through the repeated mental estimation of how much more I’d shell out to provide its 390 v-8 with gas than I already do on my Crown Vic’s 4.6 can I make my urge to be a land yacht pilot go away.
One more Mopar that haunts my dreams was my (“our” when I was married) Dakota R/T.
A Magnum 360 with a V1 blower was a ton of fun.. But it had to go. AADD strikes again
I’m obsessed with almost every car ever made. I try to get over my AADD by buying car brochures for whatever I’m obsessing over at the time, but sadly it hasn’t helped. *sob*
Through the 90s it was Ford, last year it was Jaguar, earlier this year TVR, and my current obsession is Japanese domestic brochures for Datsun/Nissan. Maybach and Rolls Royce cropped up too – I figure if I’m ever gonna beat this AADD, the brochures are pretty good self-medication. I don’t understand a word of the Japanese ones, but the pictures are great. And I’ve been learning German from the 80-90s Ford Sierra/Escort/Granada brochures I picked up recently.
I’ve amassed over 5000 brochures on pretty much everything, so you can see the depths to which AADD has taken me lol. Sigh, and I haven’t even mentioned the collection of every issue of Australia’s Wheels magazine since issue #1 in 1953. Or the rapidly growing collection of America’s own Car And Driver magazine. See, AADD knows no boundaries, but I feel safe here with y’all!
On a serious note, I’ll always obsess over any large rear-drive Nissan from the 60s to today; the Jaguar Mk X/420G is right up there too, as are 57-59 Plymouths, Ford Sierras and a perennial favourite, the Mk 5 Ford Cortina Ghia (such a pretty car in solar gold metallic with Rostyle wheels). But my biggest obsession is the new Jaguar XJ. I adore its looks and interior – it’s been my work laptop wallpaper and screensaver since it launched, and I still don’t tire of it. Darn you AADD, darn you!
Cheers! Scott (NZ Skyliner)
I’m still obsessing over the 62 Star Chief. I once owned a 63 Fleetwood with that old-school HydraMatic and can still hear and feel the unique shifting characteristics. I’m glad it’s a 4 hour drive away or else I might have gone back for a drive. A drive in the object of a guy’s momentary car-lust can easily lead to the learning of another hard automotive lesson.
Fortunately, I just bought my 3rd new car of my life – it is the gray Kia Sedona that can be seen in the background of one of the Star Chief pictures. So, I can’t afford a play car anyhow. But, I am still sort of in the swoon over the new Kia. I find that I really enjoy 271 modern, carefree, warranty-covered horsepower.
This may be taking things off topic, but during the drive he comments on the right hand mounted turn signal control. Was this common on older European cars? From personal experience I know that Peugeot 504s and older BMWs (cars and bikes) had the turn signal stalk on the right but who else did and how common was it?
I like way too many kinds of cars to pick out just a few.
I have a weird obsession with the Malibu Maxx SS models, though. I keep searching those out whenever I check CL or ebaymotors, even the local lots. I drove two CPO units this spring, but both were very nice and pricey. Of course, this spring was probably the worst time to buy a used car in recent memory, so I’m glad I was able to keep me from doing something (financially) stupid.
I don’t even understand why I’m so enamored with these cars. I had the LT version for several years, and I really grew to like the car. They are really very handy, I guess that’s what I miss most about them. The SS version would be logical extension of that car, at least so far as a motorhead would want.
Must… resist… urge… to… spend… money… I… don’t… have…
“I don’t even understand why I’m so enamored with these cars. ” Nor do the rest of us, Geo 🙂
My wife and I got one as a rental once for about 3 days. I didn’t much care for it, and my wife (who is not all that opinionated about cars) displayed an outright irrational hatred for the poor thing that she remembers to this day. In fairness, we did not have the SS. Actually, I kind of liked the concept – sedan with a hatch and a big glass portion in the roof. Kind of a cross between a Honda Fit and a Mercury Sun Valley? It would be interesting to see GM execute on such a concept today. But back around 2007 or so, they made the thing feel like a 93 Lumina. I considered the car GM’s problem in a nutshell.
But I won’t be hard on you, because there are plenty of cars I have a thing for that would bring me some grief as well. Like maybe a 1980 Volare wagon?
@jp: No worries, I’ve taken a lot of flak over it already. Having driven all three variants of the Epsilon I chassis sold in the US, I can say that the Maxx LS was the safest? dullest? of the three. But I think that was in keeping with the mission of the Chevy vs. the other two ostensibly more luxurious/sporty cousins.The SS version is more like a G6 GT, but with a much larger trunk…
Besides a F-Body Volare wagon could be a lot of fun. Especially with a swapped in modern engine, like a nice 360… Just get that original lean burn stuff outta there. Mopar makes a lot of good stuff these days, even better than the Direct Connection days.
I’ve probably posted about this here before, but I’ve wanted a Citroen SM ever since I saw one as a child, despite the fact that every sensible brain cell I have tells me I’d never want to put up with the headaches of actually owning one. There is or was a shop in Valencia, CA, less than an hour’s drive from me, that specialized in SM’s, and I’ve been tempted to drive up there and take a look, but I’m afraid I might take leave of my senses and start trying to find one to buy.
I often daydream about buying a Citroen SM, I like the looks, but dont know if could put up with the quirks.
Obscure small GM cars, I am halfway tempted to grab a 87 Grand Am SE with the 2.0 litre turbo I saw this weekend. But i’m not all in on it….still thinking.
I also have kept a look out for a clean Citation X-11 or Phoenix SJ,hatch or a H-body Skyhawk with the glass top “astroroof” option(clear roof option like the Fords in the 50’s)
Every once in while I get a hankering for something with an Oldsmobile diesel….
I’m sick like that.
I want an ’85 DeVille (fwd) V-6 diesel, or a Buick Century diesel.
There is a loaded 84 or so Cutlass Ciera 4dr brougham diesel on ebay now.
“Sick” is a good term for it. I don’t know where you’re going to find an X-Car that hasn’t dissolved into rust…even in deserts, they rotted apart. Factory-installed corrosion; and foil-thickness sheetmetal.
Stick with the Olds diesel. Now that it’s all said and done, now that we know what fails and why, you’ll probably be okay with it. Just keep tightening those head bolts…daily…
…Just jerkin’ yer chain. Dream on…my own are just as twisted…
Every once in a while a clean survivor will turn up on ebay, there was a clean 80 3door a couple of weeks ago, I missed a nice 80 X-11 that was on the other side of the US, there are a few of them still out there, not that many considering there were over a million X-cars made for the 1980 MY alone, I also missed a clean 80 Skylark Limited coupe, again though, it was far away, none of them were close, but I really dont want to pay to ship one down and dont have the time to drive it, so I am trying to find one within a couple of hundred miles from my house.