Old Car Thread

Jeff · Dec 23, 2010

quote="RussD"]......The old joke was that "the British drink warm beer because Lucas makes refrigerators". :lol:[/quote]

Lucas:: "Prince of Darkness"

Still, if you want to drive dangerously fast 4 dr sedans, Jaguar can fix you up. 8)

chazmo · Dec 23, 2010

Oh man... E-type Jags... With unlimited funds, unlimited time, and an English mechanic that could permanently ride along with me, I would have one. The E-type is #1 on my list of classics, despite it's numerous flaws; nothing's even close.

I owned a '66 Skylark convertible in the late '80s. That's the only car from that era that made it into my stable. That car was fun, but had lots of problem and it was a mistake for me to ever buy it.

I totally agree with the earlier comment though about not going back in time with cars. Ever since my '90 Miata, which was trouble-free for 12 years before I bought my S2000, I've relied on sports cars as daily drivers. You could never do that with the desirable cars of yesterday.

twocorgis · Dec 23, 2010

Chazmo said:
Oh man... E-type Jags... With unlimited funds, unlimited time, and an English mechanic that could permanently ride along with me, I would have one. The E-type is #1 on my list of classics, despite it's numerous flaws; nothing's even close.

E-Types are probably number one with me too, Chaz, with the same stipulation as you. Good examples cost stupid money these days, mainly because the originals rusted like nobody's business. Ferrari Daytonas really float my boat, too. 8)

Chazmo said:
I totally agree with the earlier comment though about not going back in time with cars. Ever since my '90 Miata, which was trouble-free for 12 years before I bought my S2000, I've relied on sports cars as daily drivers. You could never do that with the desirable cars of yesterday.

You sure can't. That's cool that you drive an S2000 as a daily driver. My best one was an '87 BMW 325is that I just loved to death.

chazmo · Dec 23, 2010

My S2000 is currently caked in dried salt spray and sand with tears in the soft top from lowering it in extremely cold weather (not recommended). It wears Blizzak snow tires in the winter. It starts when I turn the key (well push the button, that is). Every time. The heater always works.

(I take it to the self wash once every week or so, so don't feel bad for it

)

twocorgis · Dec 23, 2010

Chazmo said:
My S2000 is currently caked in dried salt spray and sand with tears in the soft top from lowering it in extremely cold weather (not recommended). It wears Blizzak snow tires in the winter. It starts when I turn the key (well push the button, that is). Every time. The heater always works.

(I take it to the self wash once every week or so, so don't feel bad for it )

Ouch! Those cars are great though. Just like old British sports cars, but they actually work; what a concept! Blizzaks are a smart move too. Totally transforms the car in the snow, and I had them on my Bimmer. I've got a new Ford Mustang GT on order as my new daily driver. Consumer Reports got 22mpg with an identical car, which isn't bad for 412hp!

Somehow I think I might not do quite as well. 8)

RussD · Dec 26, 2010

WOW... still got that one? TC or TD?

I wish. Frame-up restoration that got away during hard times.
My RX-8 is my substitute now - owned it for 6 years and am on the 5th set of tires - in 45,000 miles!!
There are several places to get sideways on my commute... :lol: :lol: :lol:

6L6 · Dec 27, 2010

The mechanical nightmare stories above about Jags brought back to mind an amazing story...

Back in the early 80's my USAFR Commander bought a new Jag sedan. With about 500 miles on it, he was heading to the base and switched over the fuel tanks at 70mph. He heard a muffled explosion, looked in the rear view mirror and all he could see was smoke and flames! He got it stopped and bailed out. After getting to a safe distance away, he watched it burn to the ground.

Pretty impressive stuff...

Like any devout Jag lover, he took the insurance money and bought another new one just like the old one. Unbelievably, within a 100yards of the spot where the first incident occurred, he turned on the windshield wipers (it was raining) and was immediately confronted with a blue electrical arc that went right across the windshield.

He immediately smelled burning insulation (and other stuff), so he again got it stopped and bailed out of the car. From a safe distance he watched that one literally burn to the ground too. Adding to the excitement was the gas tank finally exploding!

Again, pretty impressive stuff...

My Commander flew 273 combat missions in Vietnam as a fighter pilot. He said, those Jags came closer to killing him than the VC ever did.

All that said, I too think the Series 1 Jag XKE roadsters are the prettiest cars ever built, regardless of price.

6

twocorgis · Dec 27, 2010

6L6 said:
The mechanical nightmare stories above about Jags brought back to mind an amazing story...

Back in the early 80's my USAFR Commander bought a new Jag sedan. With about 500 miles on it, he was heading to the base and switched over the fuel tanks at 70mph. He heard a muffled explosion, looked in the rear view mirror and all he could see was smoke and flames! He got it stopped and bailed out. After getting to a safe distance away, he watched it burn to the ground.

Pretty impressive stuff...

Like any devout Jag lover, he took the insurance money and bought another new one just like the old one. Unbelievably, within a 100yards of the spot where the first incident occurred, he turned on the windshield wipers (it was raining) and was immediately confronted with a blue electrical arc that went right across the windshield.

He immediately smelled burning insulation (and other stuff), so he again got it stopped and bailed out of the car. From a safe distance he watched that one literally burn to the ground too. Adding to the excitement was the gas tank finally exploding!

Again, pretty impressive stuff...

My Commander flew 273 combat missions in Vietnam as a fighter pilot. He said, those Jags came closer to killing him than the VC ever did.

All that said, I too think the Series 1 Jag XKE roadsters are the prettiest cars ever built, regardless of price.

6

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Great yarn 6! Old British cars just kinda lend themselves to stories like that. One thing you commander should have realized is that you're not supposed to drive anything with a Lucas electrical system in the rain. It never ceases to amaze me that the Brits can't make cars that run in the rain, as much as it rains over there. :roll:

I agree about the Series 1 XKE being one of the prettiest cars ever. Here's another one of my favorites:

I guess it's no coincidence that it's another one of those cars that you drive with one hand, and hold together with the other! :lol:

JerryR · Dec 27, 2010

Graham said:
RussD said:

'49 Lincoln with a 460 big block and twin 400watt amps for the guitar:

Love them red ones!

Click to expand...

Show a pic of that headstock Russ and don't forget to mention that you made it! :mrgreen:

Only fair that someone should attempt a guitar veer on an old car thread :wink: :mrgreen:

killdeer43 · Dec 27, 2010

JerryR said:
Only fair that someone should attempt a guitar veer on an old car thread :wink: :mrgreen:

Yeah, but that's still a pretty gutsy move! :lol:

Joe

RussD · Dec 28, 2010

My car, but Graham owns the veer!

tele4tone · Dec 28, 2010

I'm a Ford Van guy. I grew up in one of these
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/ ... 300-01.jpg

I hope to get one soon. My fathers van had a 302 with a cam and headers. You could barely hear the 8 track over the Glass pack exhaust.

Jeff

capnjuan · Dec 28, 2010

I had one of these when I was in the service in Germany; a 1958 Mercedes 219; not red like this one ... chocolate top over tan. In-line, fuel-injected 6 cyl, 4-speed on the column; did 65 mph all day long. Burled walnut dash and door trim. I drove it into Belgium, France, Denmark, and all over central and SE Germany including some 'time traveling'; a visit to Stuttgart so the car could wave 'Hi' to the city and then to the village of Böblingen southwest of Stuttgart where we were when my father was stationed there in the mid-50s; not sure who enjoyed it more. :wink: Remarkable cars.

krysh · Dec 28, 2010

you all had so cool cars as a 1st one.
I had a tiny 1980 Volkswagen Polo GLS like this one in white:

twocorgis · Dec 28, 2010

krysh said:
you all had so cool cars as a 1st one.
I had a tiny 1980 Volkswagen Polo GLS like this one in white:

We never got the Polo here in the states, and it's funny how much that looks like the first new car I ever bought, a Canary Yellow '78 Ford Fiesta with 12" wheels:

That car was great; it was so light that you could pick up the rear end by yourself. there was no insulation in the doors, and when you locked the car the lock cylinder echoed! Got 40+ mpg all the time, and was fun to drive with the 1.6L Kent engine. Went like stink in the snow with those skinny tires, too. It was a great car until I t-boned a guy who ran a stop sign and it was totaled. Glad I had my seat belt on. :shock:

adorshki · Dec 28, 2010

RussD said:
WOW... still got that one? TC or TD?

Click to expand...

I wish. Frame-up restoration that got away during hard times.
My RX-8 is my substitute now - owned it for 6 years and am on the 5th set of tires - in 45,000 miles!!
There are several places to get sideways on my commute... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Before the Thunderbird I went through 5 first gen RX-7's...first one a 1980 bought in 1989 for $1100.00 with 110k on the clock...started a 15 year love affair...bulletproof like Chaz's Miata...GAWD I love those rotor motors!

capnjuan · Dec 29, 2010

krysh said:
... I had a tiny 1980 Volkswagen Polo GLS like this one in white

Hi Michael: that '58 MB cost 900DM in 1970 when the exchange rate was $1 = 3.6DM ... I don't know what the exchange rate was before the Euro ... the car was worth every pfennig.

krysh · Dec 29, 2010

capnjuan said:
krysh said:

... I had a tiny 1980 Volkswagen Polo GLS like this one in white

Click to expand...

Hi Michael: that '58 MB cost 900DM in 1970 when the exchange rate was $1 = 3.6DM ... I don't know what the exchange rate was before the Euro ... the car was worth every pfennig.

my 1980 Polo was 5000,-DM in 1986, don't know the exchange rate then.

capnjuan · Dec 29, 2010

krysh said:
capnjuan said:

krysh said:

... I had a tiny 1980 Volkswagen Polo GLS like this one in white

Click to expand...

Hi Michael: that '58 MB cost 900DM in 1970 when the exchange rate was $1 = 3.6DM ... I don't know what the exchange rate was before the Euro ... the car was worth every pfennig.

Click to expand...

my 1980 Polo was 5000,-DM in 1986, don't know the exchange rate then.

See - cars are like people ... old is good ... and cheaper :lol:

I don't think US manufacturers have ever really been committed to smaller cars - at least not until recently. After the recession of the late 1950s and a difficult strike by steelworkers, they tried to make 'compact' cars ... like this 1960 Ford Falcon:

After the oil embargoes of the 1970s, they tried again with cars like this Chevette:

Your VW Polo was never imported to the US - probably to protect the US car industry. The fact is that car makers never saw it as in their interest to excel at designing and manufacturing a high-quality, moderate-priced short wheel-base car ... because they make better profit margins selling bigger cars. Instead of seriously competing, they gave that market away to the Europeans and Japanese ... and they gave away competing for high-end, high-performance cars too. I had one of 'these' ... '85 BMW 535i ... because the US didn't make one of 'these' ... If I wanted one of 'these' ... I had to buy a car made in Europe :?

After you get settled in, maybe you could buy one of these to take you to your gigs: :wink:

chazmo · Dec 29, 2010

Michael, Sandy, wasn't that '80s-era Golf released as the Dasher in the US? Not sure about that... Maybe a Rabbit?

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