Four Wheels, Two Doors, Zero B-pillars

[Sixty8panther]

Well since I've just about squeezed blood out of a rock wiht the 4 door hardtop thread I figured it was time to finally get around to a 2 door hardtop Thread. If you don't like the thread, great... move on. But if you do post some of your favorites. It's always nice to share personal favorites.

I'm going to kick this thread off wihtthe crazy oddballs. Japanese Hardtops, mostly from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. Some of these you might not have ever seen others you may not ever even known existed.

Once we get these kooky Jalopies out of the way we can move on to the 70s domestic land yachts, 60s mucle cars & 50s finned wonders. All with pillarless hardtop greenhouses of course.

Datsun / Nissan Hardtops

Man I love how all these Japanese cars from the 1970s blatanlty tried to look like shurnken-head versions of American Muscle cars. They all have multiple styling cues that are obviously "borrowed" from American cars... it's like they open up the Nov. 1969 Issue of Motor Trend... stare at the photos for a few minutes and then get going on the 1975 _____ Happy-Buggy G-S/X coupe.

Seriously even the names/trim levels are often times American inspired. Sad to say a Mustang II or 1977 Thunderbird does, by contrast, make a Datsun HoneyBee or Mazda RX4 look like an exotic Europen car.

http://www.nissanfanseite.de/Wallpapers/Ni...Hard-Top-03.jpg

http://www13.plala.or.jp/red_na6ce/event/2...t-ns-gloria.jpg

cool site... if you're still reading this

[Sixty8panther]

Mazda Hardtops

http://mrec.rotary.net.nz/brochures/rx4/rx4b.jpg

Toyota Hardtops

Daihatsu Fellow MAX Hardtop

Edited January 20, 2006 by Sixty8panther

[Variance]

A favorite of mine, the BMW 8-Series:

[Sixty8panther]

Ignore the bottom pic...

Still not super-cool but a lot better than any dumb Avalon or Camry!

http://home.arcor.de/jens.roesner/nz/pics/toyotacrown.jpg

BTW, in case you were wondering the answer is yes... Toyota did also try it's hand at the Landau roof that was such the rage in the 1970s. This looks like a midget version of a 1977 Thunderbird. No that was NOT a compliment.

Another little Datsun wiht roll down B-pillars

[Nick]

A favorite of mine, the BMW 8-Series:

Beat me too it!

[Sixty8panther]

It's really too bad the Datsun Honey Bee did not come in a hardtop bodystyle...

[Sixty8panther]

Who but Mazda made (pillarless) hardtops in 1982? Seriousy I'm asking?

And now for the really good stuff!

[Sixty8panther]

Edited January 20, 2006 by Sixty8panther

[Cory Wolfe]

*as he looks at the info thing for IE... he notices 50 items yet to be loaded. Everything but pics have been loaded. He says "Damn you Sixty8... Now I have to press the 'Stop' controll before all these pics f**k up my computer, therefore not letting me view all the pretty hardtop coupes"*

Someone needs to tell where all the cars that might interest me are posting, perhaps doing it in a quote form, so I can manually go through the pics manually view the ones I want. Alright?

[mustang84]

How many mirrors do you need? I'm sure the front ones serve a purpose in Japan, but what is it?

[NeonLX]

The '53 Stude and '55 DeSoto are so pretty as to bring tears to my eyes. The DeSoto is REALLY impressive in person; I saw a '55 Fireflite Coronado in a display room at an auto dealership recently and was blown away by how stunning the car was.

Here's anudder one of my favorites:

[XP715]

Thanks, but no thanks; I'll take extra B-pillars! C and D-pillars, even!

Just kidding. Late 70's Thunderbirds and Cougars represent everything wrong with automotive styling. Here's my choice for a two-door hardtop:

Beautiful. What a machine!

[NeonLX]

Wanna see a car that makes the 1977-'79 Thunderbird look good? Try the 1980-'82 model:

I started calling them "B-tirds" at this point. They were just plain NASTY (IMHO).

[Cory Wolfe]

Thanks, but no thanks; I'll take extra B-pillars! C and D-pillars, even! 

Just kidding. Late 70's Thunderbirds and Cougars represent everything wrong with automotive styling. Here's my choice for a two-door hardtop:

Hehe... There's one of these in my neighbors garage. He tried selling once years ago, but nobody bought it. I'm sure if someone wanted to buy... they easily could!

[Robert Hall]

One of my favorite hardtops of the last 20 years--a Merc 560SEC. A clean, elegant yet massive luxury coupe.

[Flybrian]

I'm going to say it right now, most of those Japanese cars look awful, I don't care how many pillars they have. Thank the dumbass fender mirrors for that.

[Sixty8panther]

Yup... the 1977 ThunderTurd is good for one thing and one thing only: F**king up Crown Vics and Grand Marq. at the demolition derby races. Other than that they were a waste of inferior 1970s steel. But Neon is right, the 1980 model looks far worse still. I honestly would have no problem crushing the very last one of those in existance if it had but 1,500 miles on the clock just to make a heavy Duty Coffee table.

Moltar:

Funny you should say that.... my friend Sean owes me $2800 and he happens to own a 1986 Mercedes 560SEC in pweter just like the one you posted, except his has a chocolate interior. He bought it for less than $4K and I think I might be receiving it as payment if and when I track him down the little bastard.

This, the eventual 2009 Camaro and a new-ish GTO are the only coupes Marcia has said she sould live with. Getting Sofia in and out of the back seat would be a bitch with her bad back but a nice GErman hardtop is a good excuse to do so.

I was told they only sold 600 of them in 1986? Can someone confirm or deny this?

[Sixty8panther]

The car that started it all!

1949 Buick Roadaster Riviera

1954: check out that hood ornament!

Edited January 20, 2006 by Sixty8panther

[Sixty8panther]

Another nice Buick Invicta...

does double take!

WMJ where did you get that Camaro sketch? That is THE best muscle car sketch I've ever seen in my entire life bar none! Please hook me up!!!

[Turbojett]

Here's my choice for a two-door hardtop:

Beautiful. What a machine!

God those things are gorgeous. Brings tears to your eyes.

[LosAngeles]

Man, whatever with what you guys think, the Japanese hardtops we couldn't get here are cool to me. Imagine hot rodding some of those with modern wheels.

And that RX-4 is a huge deal to rotary fans....

[Sixty8panther]

I too like the RX4 & some of those Datsuns... but mostly for their obscurity. The RWD and old school powerplants are appealing too.

[ocnblu]

Most of those early Japanese hardtops seem to have a mini-Mopar, or even AMC look to them. I think they're interesting too. Kinda cool. Too bad they've all returned to the earth as iron oxide.

[Sixty8panther]

Ocnblu:

My sentiments exactly.

NOw here's soem more GM hardtops:

http://storm.tocmp.com/oldsmobile/1967/196728.jpg

Edited January 21, 2006 by Sixty8panther

[ocnblu]

Dude... blasphemer! The white '64 Goat is a post car!

[Sixty8panther]

Dude... blasphemer!  The white '64 Goat is a post car!

Woops... >> edit post << It isn't anymore!

[balthazar]

Most of those early Japanese hardtops seem to have a mini-Mopar, or even AMC look to them.

That one brown one (3rd down) in the opening row of pics is so '73-74 Charger.

They all lack the fluidity of domesticsof the same period, tho a very few approach mild appeal IMO.

[Robert Hall]

Datsun / Nissan Hardtops

What is this one?? Front end looks like a 510 sort of...never seen a coupe like this.

By the way Sixty-Eight, did you see the excellent recent Hemming's Import car mag with the article on the '70 or so Datsun Bluebird SSS? It looked like a 510 coupe but with a sportier roofline than the 2dr sedan that was sold here... I kinda like those '70s Datsuns, Toyotas, Mazdas also..

[Randle]

Another nice Buick Invicta...

What year is that? Other than the boat tail Buick Riviera that is the most beautiful car in the thread.

[Sixty8panther]

I agree Moltar... some of those little RWD Japanese cars are intriguing. Take away the RWD though and they go back to throwaway status again.

Randle: That's a 1961. One of my favorites after the 1959 Buick.

[knightfan26917]

Uh, Sixty8....

Unless I missed seeing the pic or mention, you missed the most important to me ...

The first gen (1970-1972) Monte Carlo was a hardtop .

Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker

MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/

Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html

"I wonder if it's too late" ... Nickelback ... 'Photograph'

[Sixty8panther]

I'm sorry KF, I neglecxted this thread... I emant to post 1st gen Montes along wiht another two dozen clasiscs

sorry aboutn the spelling:

[Camino LS6]

It's too late for me to be patient enough to wait for the pics to load so I'll make a few assumptions. I assume that Chevelle is well represented, that there is a boattail Riviera in there somewhere and that you haven't posted a pic of a Studebaker Golden Hawk.

I really love the pillarless look, and riding in these cars is a kind of open-air experience largely lost today. Good topic , I really need to get myself a high-speed connection so I can enjoy this type of thread.

[Sixty8panther]

Okay here we go, some more 2 door hardtops:

1970 Monte Carlos on the assembly line

Even Corvairs got in on the pillarless Hardtop Action.

[Robert Hall]

Ford also had a lot of beautiful hts back in the day, IMHO... I'm a big fan of the original Cougars--'67-68. I love the profile and roofline... (having 3 of them in my family helps).. the '69-70 Galaxie XL and Mercury Marauders...the crisp '65-66 Galaxies and big Mercs... the formal '71-72 LTD and Galaxie (2drs and 4drs)..

Interestingly enough, my favorite Mustangs weren't hardtops, per se..the '67-68 2+2 and '69-70 Sportsroof body styles..

It's hard for me to pic a favorite GM hardtop..there are so many that I like.... the '61 B-body 'bubbletops'...the '62-64 B-body 'fake convertible uptop' look... the '65 semi-fastback B-bodies... the '67-68 fastback and formal B-bodies..the '71-73 B-bodies...the '63-65 Rivieras..the '66-69 Rivieras..the incredible '71-73 boattail Rivs...the original Eldorados and Toronados..the '67-69 F-bodies...the '69-72 Grand Prix (another personal favorite)....

[Sixty8panther]

First Gen Cougars had great interiors too.

[Sixty8panther]

MOre eye candy for ya Moltar.

Awsome Japanese Site wiht tons of AMERICAN hardtops and classic Detroit Steel

http://www11.ocn.ne.jp/~iwami-js/katarogu/katarogupage.htm

[knightfan26917]

*grins*

Much better, Sixty8 ... thank you!!!!

[Variance]

Another modern hardtop, the Mercedes CL:

Edited January 26, 2006 by VarianceJ30

[Sixty8panther]

NO problem KF, I've only begun to scratch the surface.

[Sixty8panther]

[Sixty8panther]

Not a big fan of the 1961 Fords one either but I thought I'd throw in at least one more of Henry's Kids.

[Sixty8panther]

Another example of a super ugly Ford (IMHO) FoMoCo had a way of messing up even the nicest designs in the late 50s and early 60s. I am obsessed wiht hardtops but even I can not find much to like about this design.

But here's an exception to the rule.... a 1960 Ford. This Galaxie is beautiful to my eyes.

Remeber the "butternut" one in Goodfellas.

The ass is obviously trying too hard to look like a toned down version of a 1959 Chevy... but its' still nice.

Seriously... take a look.

[Sixty8panther]

[NeonLX]

I didn't think it was possible for a 1960 Plymouth to look good but I wouldn't mind staring at that photo for a LONG time. Oh wait...

I hate to say it, but that '58 Plymouth would actually look better without the fender skirts.

[ocnblu]

Of course, my faves are GM from this era. Second, overall, would be Mopar... but Ford had several nice designs as well. Please, Sixty8, in your quest to post a few hardtops, don't leave out the FoMoCo team. For full size, I like the '60, the '63.5, the '64-'67 Fords and the '71-'72... I like the 63.5 Falcon, too, with its trim dimensions and nice low body. I think Falcons look good with modern rims and a healthy 289 or 302. Edited January 26, 2006 by ocnblu

[knightfan26917]

*sighs*

I obviously was born in the wrong decade.

Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker

MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/

Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html

"How much longer will they be around?" ... Don Williams ... 'Old Coyote Town'

[Turbojett]

BUMP

here's a beautiful modern hardtop coupe--and an exotic! :wub:

[Turbojett]

The Sadie CLK is also a hardtop, but like the Conti GT, I just can't find any good windows-down shots of it.

...but I suppose this'll do:

[Sixty8panther]

Keep the pics coming guys!

I gotta run... busy week.