Going for walks, seeing some cool cars.

[Nedmundo]

Also a bike shop in Athens GA used to have a 2CV as their...um...I guess "advertisement" car (it was parked on the main street and it had their name on it.)

There's a pizza shop in Cherry Hill, NJ that uses an old Fiat hatchback the same way. It's parked out front next to a main road, and it helps make the place memorable.

And now for our final installment from Portland, a Ford Falcon and a Buick Special:

 

[turf3]

Yep, they were sold at Buick-Opel dealers. Then GM messed up with a very bad judgment call and and stared to import an Isuza -box from Japan and tried to past it off an Opel with the Opel logo. That was the death of Opel in the USA.

The bigger misstep was deciding that they didn't want to sell the attractive reliable Opel products and designing the unreliable insta-rust Vega with its continuously increasing cyulinder bores.

(Well, "reliable" in 1970 terms; which is not the same as 2024 terms...)

 

[Mike N]

The bigger misstep was deciding that they didn't want to sell the attractive reliable Opel products and designing the unreliable insta-rust Vega with its continuously increasing cyulinder bores.

(Well, "reliable" in 1970 terms; which is not the same as 2024 terms...)

The Vega wasn't as bad as you think it was.

Ed Cole (the mastermind behind the design and development of the small-block Chevy V-8) was the chief engineer of the Vega project. Reynolds Aluminum developed the A-390 alloy of silicon impregnated metal for the engine blocks. Cole was given 24 weeks to design, develop and place into production a new car....from scratch. Most people don't know, but the Vega was being engineered as the first production models were coming off of the production line. Car & Driver and Motor Trend both voted the Vega "Car of the Year" in 1971. And, problems aside, the Vega easily out performed and out did almost every competitor in their price range. But, because it was rushed into production, many things were overlooked, and later came back to haunt the car. Almost everything about the car was innovative, from the way they were transported to the speed they were built. Once the Vega ceased production, GM sold the A-390 patent to Porsche Ag. in Germany, for $6 million dollars. Porsche still uses the casting techniques and the alloy of aluminum to this day. The oil pump first fitted to the 2.3 Vega engine is the same identical pump on all Chevy LS series engines. The list goes on. A lot of guys still believe the Vega's aluminum block and cylinder bores were the reason for it's faults. It wasn't. After the Vega blocks started appearing with tool steel cylinder sleeves pressed into the blocks, the problems still existed. The real culprit was the Vega's valve guide seals.

 

[Frosteeman]

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider spotted at the Home Depot

Hopefully, they aren't getting anything too heavy since these apparently have laughably low payload capacities

 

[turf3]

The Vega wasn't as bad as you think it was.

Ed Cole (the mastermind behind the design and development of the small-block Chevy V-8) was the chief engineer of the Vega project. Reynolds Aluminum developed the A-390 alloy of silicon impregnated metal for the engine blocks. Cole was given 24 weeks to design, develop and place into production a new car....from scratch. Most people don't know, but the Vega was being engineered as the first production models were coming off of the production line. Car & Driver and Motor Trend both voted the Vega "Car of the Year" in 1971. And, problems aside, the Vega easily out performed and out did almost every competitor in their price range. But, because it was rushed into production, many things were overlooked, and later came back to haunt the car. Almost everything about the car was innovative, from the way they were transported to the speed they were built. Once the Vega ceased production, GM sold the A-390 patent to Porsche Ag. in Germany, for $6 million dollars. Porsche still uses the casting techniques and the alloy of aluminum to this day. The oil pump first fitted to the 2.3 Vega engine is the same identical pump on all Chevy LS series engines. The list goes on. A lot of guys still believe the Vega's aluminum block and cylinder bores were the reason for it's faults. It wasn't. After the Vega blocks started appearing with tool steel cylinder sleeves pressed into the blocks, the problems still existed. The real culprit was the Vega's valve guide seals.

Actually, for oil burning it was both valve seals and cylinder scoring. I had one of these. I did wet and dry compression checks and BOTH were a big fail. #3 cylinder was pumping a quart of oil every 75 miles. On a car with 80,000 miles. Over heat the car just once and the block was done for.

But even worse - because you could have sleeved the engine or dropped in the iron Pontiac or the iron Chevy II engine - was the insta-rust body. I had a Vega with terminal cancer rust all around the front and rear windows (a hatchback) after four years - in DALLAS TEXAS. No salt. And up there on the window frames, where salt wouldn't get to, anyway.

It was a classic example of GM overreach - shove a whole bunch of great ideas out there, half-baked, create reliability nightmares, then run around with your hair on fire, apply extended warranties, finally get it sort of right (the Monza which was basically the Vega with the iron 4 cylinder they should have put in the Vega to begin with), just about the time no one wants to touch the thing with a 10 foot pole.

And all the while they had the Opel products on the shelf.

Yes, the Vega really WAS that bad - even in 1970s context. When a Pinto is a step up in reliability, you're talking about a pretty awful car.

And it's a shame, because it was reallly a good looking little car and could have had rather nice driving dynamics, had they put a decent engine and rust-proofed the body.

 

[kesslari]

There's a pizza shop in Cherry Hill, NJ that uses an old Fiat hatchback the same way. It's parked out front next to a main road, and it helps make the place memorable.

And now for our final installment from Portland, a Ford Falcon and a Buick Special:

View attachment 5491371 View attachment 5491373

My mom had the Oldsmobile version of that Buick (also in "powder blue"), I was too young to know much about cars, but my older brother's comment about how underpowered it was stuck with me - "It would be an honor to get a speeding ticket in that car".

 

[definenredefine]

Recent sightings in NYC. First, a Ferrari -

Second, a nice vintage Ford F-series (I think) -

Third, a Lancia Delta Integrale -

And fourth, an overlander built on one of the most expensive possible bases -

Also, I recently saw one of the new Tesla Model Homers in my own home town -

 

[Frosteeman]

Recent sightings in NYC. First, a Ferrari -
View attachment 5494932

Second, a nice vintage Ford F-series (I think) -
View attachment 5494934
Third, a Lancia Delta Integrale -
View attachment 5494935

And fourth, an overlander built on one of the most expensive possible bases -
View attachment 5494933

Also, I recently saw one of the new Tesla Model Homers in my own home town -
View attachment 5494931

Bruh, that Lancia tho

 

[definenredefine]

Bruh, that Lancia tho

Right???

 

[Michael Jewels]

AHA!

I saw one of those Teslas in my neighborhood a few days ago, but didn't know what it was.

No chance to get a picture.

Thanks, definenredefine, you solved a mystery.

Mike

 

[Mike N]

Recent sightings in NYC. First, a Ferrari -
View attachment 5494932

Second, a nice vintage Ford F-series (I think) -
View attachment 5494934
Third, a Lancia Delta Integrale -
View attachment 5494935

And fourth, an overlander built on one of the most expensive possible bases -
View attachment 5494933

Also, I recently saw one of the new Tesla Model Homers in my own home town -
View attachment 5494931

I'm digging the old Ford..... I can see that rolling on 1 tons & 44's.

The other three are a solid meh.

 

[definenredefine]

The other three are a solid meh.

So sez yoo.

 

[Michael Jewels]

I spotted another Jaguar in my neighborhood.

It’s a Sovereign.

Is that Jaguar’s top car?

Historical plates, but look at the condition it’s in!

Mike

 

[Michael Jewels]

Another angle.

 

[Michael Jewels]

The name Sovereign, and the historical plates.

I love the lines of Jaguars.

Mike

 

[Frosteeman]

I've worked here for 9 years and the parking lot still surprises me sometimes. 1968 Chevelle convertible and a 2nd gen Toyota Mister Two.

 

[Mike N]

I've worked here for 9 years and the parking lot still surprises me sometimes. 1968 Chevelle convertible and a 2nd gen Toyota Mister Two.

View attachment 6985893

View attachment 6985894

If you see that Chevelle again, can you look and see what the first three digits of the VIN are? The tag is on the driver side of the dashboard, easily viewed thru the windshield.

Please tell me it's 138.....

 

[Frosteeman]

I spotted another Jaguar in my neighborhood.

It’s a Sovereign.

Is that Jaguar’s top car?

Historical plates, but look at the condition it’s in!

Mike

This car intrigued me as I had never heard of a Jaguar Sovereign. I did a little research and without being a huge Jaguar nerd it's hard to tell exactly what the trim hierarchy was at this time. But, what I could gather is the Sovereign is fancier than the base XJ6 in this generation but not as fancy as the Vanden Plas. In the previous generation of the XJ platform, you could get the Sovereign with a V12, but I don't believe that's the case with the one you saw and it likely has an inline 6. Still a very cool car.

If you see that Chevelle again, can you look and see what the first three digits of the VIN are? The tag is on the driver side of the dashboard, easily viewed thru the windshield.

Please tell me it's 138.....

I assume this VIN code would identify the car as a factory Super Sport. I know how often they get cloned and that's why I was careful only to acknowledge it as a Chevelle. But, if I do see it again, I'll see if I can verify

 

[SubHuman]

I've worked here for 9 years and the parking lot still surprises me sometimes. 1968 Chevelle convertible and a 2nd gen Toyota Mister Two.

View attachment 6985893

View attachment 6985894

That Chevelle is sweet! I loved that era!

 

[Mike N]

This car intrigued me as I had never heard of a Jaguar Sovereign. I did a little research and without being a huge Jaguar nerd it's hard to tell exactly what the trim hierarchy was at this time. But, what I could gather is the Sovereign is fancier than the base XJ6 in this generation but not as fancy as the Vanden Plas. In the previous generation of the XJ platform, you could get the Sovereign with a V12, but I don't believe that's the case with the one you saw and it likely has an inline 6. Still a very cool car.



I assume this VIN code would identify the car as a factory Super Sport. I know how often they get cloned and that's why I was careful only to acknowledge it as a Chevelle. But, if I do see it again, I'll see if I can verify

Up thru 1968, a true SS Chevelle (and ElCamino for 1968 only) could be identified by the 138 in the VIN.

1969 and beyond you'd need the build sheet to be sure of what you really had.