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Pick your favorite iconic car from any decade....
- Thread starter Iridescentone
- Start date
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,233
- 45,134
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
So while we're talking Toronados, here's another of kesslari's car stories...
@Tony In Philly might appreciate this...
Late 1973 (but the '74's were out...). I was 12 years old. Dad took the family with him to buy a new car - his usual, Oldsmobile 98 4 door, from Crisconi Oldsmobile in South Philly.
Crisconi... now remember, I'm 12 and fairly naive. "Mafia" was gangsters. "Italian" was our neighbors and lots of our friends. I had no idea there was any possible relationship between the two.
And there was this gorgeous, black, shiny Toronado, opera windows, tinted... none more black. It was so long and lean... and black and mysterious. Like the one pictured, but with darkly tinted windows.
And I said "Wow, that looks like a Mafia car!"
My dad made me apologize to Mr. Crisconi, and I had no idea why....
@Tony In Philly might appreciate this...
Late 1973 (but the '74's were out...). I was 12 years old. Dad took the family with him to buy a new car - his usual, Oldsmobile 98 4 door, from Crisconi Oldsmobile in South Philly.
Crisconi... now remember, I'm 12 and fairly naive. "Mafia" was gangsters. "Italian" was our neighbors and lots of our friends. I had no idea there was any possible relationship between the two.
And there was this gorgeous, black, shiny Toronado, opera windows, tinted... none more black. It was so long and lean... and black and mysterious. Like the one pictured, but with darkly tinted windows.
And I said "Wow, that looks like a Mafia car!"
My dad made me apologize to Mr. Crisconi, and I had no idea why....
So while we're talking Toronados, here's another of kesslari's car stories...
@Tony In Philly might appreciate this...
Late 1973 (but the '74's were out...). I was 12 years old. Dad took the family with him to buy a new car - his usual, Oldsmobile 98 4 door, from Crisconi Oldsmobile in South Philly.
Crisconi... now remember, I'm 12 and fairly naive. "Mafia" was gangsters. "Italian" was our neighbors and lots of our friends. I had no idea there was any possible relationship between the two.
And there was this gorgeous, black, shiny Toronado, opera windows, tinted... none more black. It was so long and lean... and black and mysterious. Like the one pictured, but with darkly tinted windows.
And I said "Wow, that looks like a Mafia car!"
My dad made me apologize to Mr. Crisconi, and I had no idea why....
View attachment 3312598
@kesslari We had very similar experiences! My uncle was a Buick dealer and my father always went there to get his new cars. There always seemed to be something slightly
iffy about the place.
The funny thing was that way back then my father often insisted that "there's no such thing as the Mafia!".
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My IBM buddy, Marlon, grew up in the former DDR, so this one is for him - a Trabant. It was probably one of the worst cars ever made with its infamous, forest destroying two-stroke lawn mower engine! Yet it still has an iconic, novelty status in the former East Germany today.
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I used to drive one of those for work, making deliveries. It handled great, even with "millions" of miles on it.
I puzzled and I puzzled 'til my puzzler was sore …
I puzzle no more 
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It's pretty clear from the picture what should happen next.
Love those! I've owned two (one of them three different times) and would love another. You sit in front of the axle and the visibility is unreal. You can get spooky close to cars at a light; always enjoyed that. Parking is the easiest of any of the dozens of cars I've owned by far.
I once drove my friend's rock trio to Portland from Eugene. Drum kit, bass rig, guitar rig, etc, and 4 people. Did fine. After the gig someone talked me into driving another band home after already having loaded Jerry's band. It was only a few miles away so what the heck. Another kit and 3 amps and several more guitars and 4 more people. It made it up a steep hill but at a crawl. (Was a 5 speed). Made it back to Eugene with no issue. The harmonic balancer went out the next weekend and it was pretty certain that few miles in Portland was the cause. Great rigs!
I really like the '63 Chevy Impala 4 door hardtop. I know, 2 door is the going thing, but I like that the people in back getting in and out don't disturb the people in front.
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Notice that all these cars are the same body style. They are all cool. However, the Chevrolet Chevelle outsold the Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick models.
My first love was a blue '69 Chevelle Malibu 307 automatic. Wish it had been a standard...
I had a 68 Chevelle Nomad with a 250ci in-line 6 and a three speed on the column. You may have wanted a standard, but not that one, bleemee.
I've got a 68 SS396 ElCamino..... a real 138 car and not a clone. 396, 4 speed Muncie and a 3.31 geared 12 bolt. It's sat in a barn since 1992.
Someday, I will restore it.
