Dream cars

[Opsimath]

1970 Ford Torino Squire Station Wagon

I wish I had kept my '70 Torino. It was a 4-door and didn't have the hood scoop thing. Is that a scoop or an intake?

 

[banjomike]

I bought a 1968 GTO while in the Navy, and it was a cool car, but not as fun to drive as the 2008 MINI Cooper I purchased used in 2011.I owned a Clubman, the 'station wagon' of the MINI line, and the longer wheelbase made it quite solid and a smoother ride than the others, and it was plenty fast too.

The Cooper was as much fun to drive in town as on the road. The car could turn around in it's own length, so I could park it in a spot that was too small for all others, and for such a small nimble car, it was really roomy inside; I'm 6'3", and it had more head and leg room than I needed along with a ton of room in the back.
The only reason I eventually traded it was at 10 years old, it turned into a money pit. The closest dealer was 200 miles away, and had the only repair dept. that could fix some things on it that wore out.
That, and Idaho winters. With good winter tires, it was a little bulldog, but they're so low it could high center pretty quickly on an un-plowed road after a snowstorm. I ended up plowing more than one road with it, and it was a struggle to drive during those times.

My present Subaru gets me through anything Idaho throws at me, but it's nowhere as fun to drive. I still miss the Cooper a lot.

 

[twocorgis]

He traded it for a 1963 Mercury Monterey!! That was a super cool car!!

It also had the power operated "breezeway" window to let all the noxious exhaust gases into the cabin.

Gee, wonder why that feature didn't catch on?

 

[Uke]

I wish I had kept my '70 Torino. It was a 4-door and didn't have the hood scoop thing. Is that a scoop or an intake?

I did not know there was such a thing as a Torino station wagon. I think that's just a decorative hood "scoop". I had one on my 1969 mustang (which was about the color of this Torino), and it was a scoop to no where.

 

[GGJaguar]

Cadillac Eldorado Fastback mock up

 

[zulu]

The old Oldsmobiles used *** fire for a lot of models.

Ahh, the Olds $#!% fire and the Olds #@@& fire!

 

[Soul Tramp]

I grew up around racing and during the golden age of muscles cars. Yet, now that I'm an old boomer, I can see myself tooling around in one of these.

 

[davismanLV]

It also had the power operated "breezeway" window to let all the noxious exhaust gases into the cabin.

Gee, wonder why that feature didn't catch on?

That window at the back seat was so amazing. People sitting back there loved it. I don't remember any noxious gasses coming in. I picked up a guy hitchhiking through Topanga Canyon one time and he sat back there (front seat was full) and he was super stoned and he was just dumbfounded with that window!!

 

[davismanLV]

I grew up around racing and during the golden age of muscles cars. Yet, now that I'm an old boomer, I can see myself tooling around in one of these.

That looks like a Valiant body style but in a coupe?? What is that exactly??

 

[Soul Tramp]

That looks like a Valiant body style but in a coupe?? What is that exactly??

Pretty cool isn't it? 1962 2dr Valiant.

 

[twocorgis]

That window at the back seat was so amazing. People sitting back there loved it. I don't remember any noxious gasses coming in. I picked up a guy hitchhiking through Topanga Canyon one time and he sat back there (front seat was full) and he was super stoned and he was just dumbfounded with that window!!

The really noxious gases are the ones you can't smell.

 

[adorshki]

I've never seen a Dodge Firearrow and I like what I see.

Concept car, designed by Virgil Exner of "Bullet-nose" Studebaker Starlight fame, built by Ghia in one of the more entertaining marriages of the '50's.

Eventually led to the Plymouth XNR

And Chrysler's potential reply to the 'Vette and the T-Bird, the Falcon (Ford hadn't pre-empted the name yet):

 

[adorshki]

The namesake for the Guild Starfire line.

The namesake for the Olds Starfire:

Lockheed F-94 Starfire.

 

[adorshki]

The old Oldsmobiles used *** fire for a lot of models. Starfire, Jetfire, etc.

As noted previously , it was the "aviation influence" period, when air travel was really starting to take off and automakers wanted folks to identify the cars with the latest cutting edge tech and speed, especially as the "jet age" dawned.

Said to have started with the '49 Cadillac's tailfins being inspired by the Lockhheed P-38's empennage.

 

[davismanLV]

The really noxious gases are the ones you can't smell.

Well, no wonder I'm so weird, huh???

 

[adorshki]

I wish I had kept my '70 Torino. It was a 4-door and didn't have the hood scoop thing. Is that a scoop or an intake?

Technical term is intake or even "breather", "scoop" is slang. Also Suspect that's a "show car" or modified, since those scoops usually went with hi-performance engines. Ford did actually make a few hot-rod wagons in regular production though, generally customer orders, so it might be "as built".

 

[GGJaguar]

scoops usually went with hi-performance engines

Didn't the Torino come with a 351 or 429?

 

[adorshki]

Didn't the Torino come with a 351 or 429?

In '70 the standard engine was a 250 I-6, then the 302. 302's were actually standard on Squires (wagons), but wouldn't have warranted a scoop. Had to go to a "Torino 500" trim level with a 351 for that, and it turns out that package was available as a wagon. So that's likely what that is.

 

[GGJaguar]

1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400

 

[twocorgis]

Since this thread is still ostensibly about dream cars, here's one that I always wanted, but never owned. I think it's one of the prettiest cars ever made, especially with the Campagnolo wheels like this one has.

Just as timeless today as it was in the late '60s.