Pic Thread: Cool Old Cars

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by GRX

More 1935 Pontiac goodness ...

I won this (below) in a contest ("...identify the Pontiac grilles").

I imagine when they created this ad they never imagined a time when they would not be making Pontiacs.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by special-K

…

Me, sitting in the Bonneville concept.

The car is owned by collector Joe Bortz, in Chicago.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by special-K

'61s

For those not familiar with these little '61-63 Pontiacs: they have a very unique driveline.

The engine is in front, but the transmission resides in the rear of the car (with the clutch/torque converter at the very rear). It uses a Corvair style swing axle suspension, and the power is transmitted front to rear via a curved driveshaft. The shaft, known as a "rope drive", is like a giant speedo cable.

We have/had two in my family, previously owned by my dad. His '63 convertible (V8 auto, original driveline) now resides with my sister. His '63 coupe, 421 converted to a traditional solid axle driveline (which was a common conversion) was bequeathed to a family friend.

[special-K]

Some great stuff, Keith. Sitting in the Bonneville Special, the '63 Tempests, and the silver Streak ad. I could never have conceived Pontiac Motor Division would ever come to pass. I always liked those first compacts... Little Indians

There is an abandoned farm near me way back off the road. I finally hiked back there a couple years ago out of curiosity. There's am old log cabin, two 3/4t-1t early '40s (1 Chevy & 1 Ford) Panel Trucks and a '61 Tempest rolled over on it's roof. This still has been sitting a very long time. Anyway, I got a great chance to study that drivetrain. I knew they were IRS but that rear trans and external tq conv... as well as the driveshaft blew me away. I didn't realize the '63s were still that way


Know anything about this concept car?


A couple nice ones:



And a nasty one:

[prairewolf]

Thanks for the Pontiac pictures Tim and Keith, the Stan Antlocer 63 Super Duty 421 Tempest, Factory Drag car find is a cool story. a one of six built cars the story said.

[FleetsidePaul]

When I was a Meter Reader I used to go to this house every month and there was a 63 Le Mans convertible in the yard. I thought it was a cool car. But the windshield was smashed. And I'm not talking just the glass. The frame and everything were destroyed like someone hit a low hanging tree branch or something. Other than that it was a pretty clean car. I really thought about making the guy an offer but I had no idea where I could find replacement parts for that frame.

[DeadheadNM]

Great posts guys.

How about a Kaiser Darrin? What an interesting car. There’s a project example on BAT: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1954-kaiser-darrin-2/

[FleetsidePaul]

My buddy had one of these. A Jensen Interceptor. It had a factory big block Chrysler in it. I think it was a 383 but it might have been a 440. I don't remember. It was a long time ago.


I had another friend that had one of these. A Lotus Europa Twin cam JPS. Once again I don't remember much about it. But I do remember that you had to lay down to get in it. And it could take a curve like nobody's business.

[special-K]

Well you heard about the midnight Rambler

[special-K]

Ramblers not cool?

[Ol Blue K20]

Of course Ramblers are cool!

[FleetsidePaul]

A couple Mopars.

[special-K]

Those Imperials (& C300s) are so cool. They didn't want the tailpipes sticking out under the bumper like other cars, so they incorporated them into the bumpers... Brilliant! Then they stuck the tail lights on the top like an afterthought

[special-K]

Americans gone hip

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by special-K

Americans gone hip

Can't forget this one. Always my favorite AMC

[special-K]

That AMX was born hip!

[Boog]

To me that AMX is as close to cool as AMC ever got.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Boog

To me that AMX is as close to cool as AMC ever got.

I don't know, I always thought my V8 304 Gremlin X with the Levi's interior was cool. I just wished it was a 4spd instead of a 3 spd.

[special-K]

What color was it?

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by special-K

That AMX was born hip!

What AMX? Them go-go boots are way cool. When we used to cruise Van Nuys Boulevard ('70-'72), there was a guy with an orange Gremlin with a 390 in it. Not many people wanted to race him. Years later, I had a '66 Le Mans with a Ram Air III 400, 400 trans and a 3.55 posi rear axle that I'd've liked to go up against him with, but that car never showed up in '76, and he'd probably have beat me, anyway.

[Boog]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

I don't know, I always thought my V8 304 Gremlin X with the Levi's interior was cool. I just wished it was a 4spd instead of a 3 spd.

Strangely, the other day I had a random thought about one of those Gremlins with lowered suspension and real wide tires front and rear with extended flairs for a road course racer look. Big motor and 4 sp. Maybe a little wing on top of the rear hatch. Just a random thought.
I may have seen a Gremlin dirt track car some time in the past that pasted that image in my mind..

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

...

I had another friend that had one of these. A Lotus Europa Twin cam JPS. Once again I don't remember much about it. But I do remember that you had to lay down to get in it. And it could take a curve like nobody's business.

When I was young a guy that worked with my dad had the Europa...super small car. I was always fascinated with it, but he didn't have it long...his wife got pregnant and it wasn't a family car!

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by special-K

What color was it?

Mine was metallic blue with white stripes.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

When I was young a guy that worked with my dad had the Europa...super small car. I was always fascinated with it, but he didn't have it long...his wife got pregnant and it wasn't a family car!

DEFINATLY not a family car. But it was fun.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Boog

Strangely, the other day I had a random thought about one of those Gremlins with lowered suspension and real wide tires front and rear with extended flairs for a road course racer look. Big motor and 4 sp. Maybe a little wing on top of the rear hatch. Just a random thought.
I may have seen a Gremlin dirt track car some time in the past that pasted that image in my mind..

That actually sounds cool.....