July Car Spotters Thread

[Robert Hall]

Coming out of my neighborhood this morning saw a sharp bright red w/ black vinyl top '69 Camaro Z/28.   In the parking lot down at the beach I saw this silver w/ black top '71/72 Chevelle SS..

[balthazar]

'69-71 Mark III, body in grey primer, roof & headlight doors in black primer, no grille, driving on U.S. Route 1.

[Drew Dowdell]

Just spotted an XTS-L in downtown Pittsburgh. It looks fantastic.. the extra length gives it an imposing look.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 7/2/2017 at 4:32 PM, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Coming out of my neighborhood this morning saw a sharp bright red w/ black vinyl top '69 Camaro Z/28.   In the parking lot down at the beach I saw this silver w/ black top '71/72 Chevelle SS..

Saw a blue Convertible of that same year on my way to the pool on the 4th...

9 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Just spotted an XTS-L in downtown Pittsburgh. It looks fantastic.. the extra length gives it an imposing look.

The whole Cadillac lineup looks fantastic...and they must be picking up sales, because they are starting to become as common as sand on the seashore here in Columbus.

Not that I mind, in any way!

[Robert Hall]

Went out to dinner and to the Apple store, and on the way home had a sweet freeway sighting--got passed by a 1990-ish silver Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32. RHD) running about 85 mph with a red/white/blue '70 Mark Donahue Javelin on it's tail...  would have thought I was on the 405 in So Cal instead of I-271 in Ohio...speaking of Cadillacs, I've seen quite a few new/late model ones around the Cleveland area since I moved back..  

I guess luxury cars and luxury SUV colors are universal..Beachwood/Woodmere (upscale suburbs of Cleveland) are just like Scottsdale--plenty of black Escalades, Merc ML/GL/GLE/GLS, BMW X5s, etc... 

[Drew Dowdell]

When you're the Ultimate Steelers Fan!

Oh, and if you aren't already, follow us on Instagram.

[A Horse With No Name]

Saw a 73 is full size Buick convertible when I was picking up my daughter from the library.

[Robert Hall]

Today's spotting wasn't about a specific car but weird parking.    On Brecksville Road (SR 21) in Independence, Ohio there is a raised brick median with trees planted every 20 or so feet.  It's in the middle of a 4 lane street.   Every Saturday on my way to breakfast I see a car or two parked up on this median between the trees...very odd.  I haven't noticed any tickets on the windshields so it may be legal.  

[Robert Hall]

Forgot to mention this..last week when I went to the beach (Edgewater Park, Cleveland) a few blocks from the beach in the one of the neighborhoods I drove through I saw a fenced-in lot with several dead Mopars--a couple early 70s Cudas, late 60s Coronets and Road Runners...looked like remains of parts cars--rusty shells w/ no glass or chrome. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Who needs a vintage tow?

 

[A Horse With No Name]

I could have used that...mini blew a water pump and it took me a mile or two to get to a safe place to pull over.

Sadly, internal engine damage and possibly a cracked head. Car is almost fifteen years old, not putting a motor in it. Not sure what I am going to do with it, too clean to Junk.

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I could have used that...mini blew a water pump and it took me a mile or two to get to a safe place to pull over.

Sadly, internal engine damage and possibly a cracked head. Car is almost fifteen years old, not putting a motor in it. Not sure what I am going to do with it, too clean to Junk.

Bummer... my old Jeep blew off the upper radiator hose last year...managed to limp home about a mile and a half, steam and coolant blowing everywhere.   I let it cool off, reattached the hose, filled up the coolant, away I went.. the old 4.0l 6 even though it was always leaking oil was hard to kill... 

[A Horse With No Name]

5 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Bummer... my old Jeep blew off the upper radiator hose last year...managed to limp home about a mile and a half, steam and coolant blowing everywhere.   I let it cool off, reattached the hose, filled up the coolant, away I went.. the old 4.0l 6 even though it was always leaking oil was hard to kill... 

Yeah, paid for and ran well, would have been huge to get two more years out of her..

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Yeah, paid for and ran well, would have been huge to get two more years out of her..

Yeah, the transmission was clearly on the way out...needed a brake job, shocks, electrical work (power windows worked intermittently).   Got my money's worth...

Edited July 11, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

Only a vintage car- modern plastic-dipped junk wouldn't survive a bumper-lift tow.
 

[Robert Hall]

I can't recall the last time I've seen a bumper-lift tow truck in use...everytime I've had a car towed has been on a rollback truck...

[balthazar]

Agreed- and for the very reason I stated above; you can't lift plastic-bumpered cars that way, and we've been saddled with plastic-ended cars for 30 years now.
My buddy owns a 'square body' Chevy bumper lift truck, tho it hasn't been on the road in at least 10 years.

[A Horse With No Name]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Agreed- and for the very reason I stated above; you can't lift plastic-bumpered cars that way, and we've been saddled with plastic-ended cars for 30 years now.
My buddy owns a 'square body' Chevy bumper lift truck, tho it hasn't been on the road in at least 10 years.

I love those old tow trucks....they used bumper lift Trucks at Columbus Motor Speedway, which just closed last fall.

[G. David Felt]

12 hours ago, balthazar said:

Agreed- and for the very reason I stated above; you can't lift plastic-bumpered cars that way, and we've been saddled with plastic-ended cars for 30 years now.
My buddy owns a 'square body' Chevy bumper lift truck, tho it hasn't been on the road in at least 10 years.

Seems if you do not get a flatbed to drag up the auto and then haul it away they use those trucks that go in between the front or rear wheels depending on drive train and then pinch the tires and lift. Definitely in changing times, you are so right that these bumper lift tow trucks would rip off the front or rear end of today's auto's with everything plastic being used.

[Robert Hall]

5 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Seems if you do not get a flatbed to drag up the auto and then haul it away they use those trucks that go in between the front or rear wheels depending on drive train and then pinch the tires and lift. Definitely in changing times, you are so right that these bumper lift tow trucks would rip off the front or rear end of today's auto's with everything plastic being used.

Not to mention the non-towed end might drag the ground on many cars.... rollbacks are a much better solution to the old school approach. 

Edited July 12, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

10 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Not to mention the non-towed end might drag the ground on many cars.... rollbacks are a much better solution to the old school approach. 

I don't think that's an issue in the last 30 years- remember the era bumper-lift trucks were in use- towing '72 Impalas & the like; cars with overhang.
dfelt- I think you are talking about wheel-lift trucks- lot of rollbacks also have wheel lifts.
 

Rollbacks are best - less chance of damage when the whole car is up off the road & on a level secure surface.
In looking at '66 Toronados with my buddy- even some of the steel-bumper cars were damaged down low on the bumeprs by bumper-lift trucks- depends on the contour & the operator. Back to rollback = the best.

Edited July 12, 2017 by balthazar

[balthazar]

'70, '68, '67, '66 ~

Edited July 14, 2017 by balthazar

[A Horse With No Name]

On 7/5/2017 at 5:00 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

Just spotted an XTS-L in downtown Pittsburgh. It looks fantastic.. the extra length gives it an imposing look.

Sweet!

[Robert Hall]

Whilst out and about this afternoon, I saw a clean white w/ blue stripes '69 Trans Am, and an odd tow truck... red early 00s Silverado HD with stock longbed, with a long beam at an angle mounted in the bed with a large rusty metal cross shaped graboid at the end of the beam...   name of the business was something Recovery  (the UK English term for a wrecker service).   No roof lights like on the cab like a normal wrecker, makes me think it was used for low-profile work like reposessions...

Edited July 15, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[G. David Felt]

One of my wife's friends finally came and visited us, Amazing she still owns her Z28 that she bought brand new. A one car owner! Even has T-Tops. Fully loaded. Pretty cool, I forgot just how low one sits to the ground in it. She just had the carburetor rebuilt. Gets up and hauls ass! America still builds auto's that last as long as you do the 30K mile services.  

[balthazar]

Got hired to replace the engine/trans in a '63 Corvette.
Have no idea of the Corvette's true condition- it's been off the road since 1969. While you'd think that means it'd be cherry, it's been outside under tarps. No salt from the roads.... but we'll see. Owner wants to get it running/driving- I would welcome working in my shop for a few months straight.

 

Also saw a quad-headlight Lark & a mid-50s Hawk in a side yard, moldering away.

Edited July 22, 2017 by balthazar

[A Horse With No Name]

On 7/21/2017 at 9:40 PM, balthazar said:

Got hired to replace the engine/trans in a '63 Corvette.
Have no idea of the Corvette's true condition- it's been off the road since 1969. While you'd think that means it'd be cherry, it's been outside under tarps. No salt from the roads.... but we'll see. Owner wants to get it running/driving- I would welcome working in my shop for a few months straight.

 

Also saw a quad-headlight Lark & a mid-50s Hawk in a side yard, moldering away.

I hear ya...spent all day Sunday in mine,w as fantastic....nothing like the radio and tools to soothe the soul...

Hopefully the frame on the 63 is still good...

[balthazar]

'71-73 Firebird Formula, lime green/ unrestored/ decent in a residential side street driveway.

Brought this home today- going to be stripped & donate it's powertrain to the '63 :

 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

'71-73 Firebird Formula, lime green/ unrestored/ decent in a residential side street driveway.

Brought this home today- going to be stripped & donate it's powertrain to the '63 :

 

Too bad Camino is not still around.

[Robert Hall]

11 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Too bad Camino is not still around.

Whatever happened to him?  He always had something interesting to say..

[A Horse With No Name]

6 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Whatever happened to him?  He always had something interesting to say..

He transferred over to Facebook, where most of his posts seem rather political in nature.

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

He transferred over to Facebook, where most of his posts seem rather political in nature.

Ah yeah, I remember I used to follow him on FB...I recall he had some poetry...

Saw a white BMW i8 on the Valley View bridge of the I-480 this morning..don't see them very often.   Also a bright red Challenger Hellcat.

[balthazar]

'56 Ford Victoria, red & white, exc restored shape, parked & for sale (I think asking was $16500).

[Robert Hall]

Saw a really clean dark red '88-89 Olds Toronado...haven't seen one of those in years. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Daughter bought a newer (but still used) Imprezza to replace her aging Mazda 3.  When we came out of the license agency from getting plates...64 Catalina two door, turquoise with a white top...drove by slowly...was in really beautiful shape but not quite pristine...

[Robert Hall]

At dinner tonight the front valet row by the restaurant had some interesting cars..a gray-blue Alpina B6 (BMW 6 series Gran Coupe), a white Noble M600 (first I'd ever seen in person), and a gorgeous dark blue '68 Shelby GT350 convertible, top down).

[Robert Hall]

Caught a glimpse of a dark green early Chrysler Córdoba in a residential garage in my neighborhood.