Changing Times, Changing Tastes

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Motor City said:

'66 Fury convertible;

regarding another person's comment about muscle cars being "rubbish", I guess a lot of people like rubbish because they must know something about them that you don't 

Yeah, that's a pretty bold statement from someone from the home of the British sports car.

 

 

 

Steve

[Junkman]

Well, I do understand that someone living 500 miles from the nearest twisty B road prefers muscle to handling, but I fail to comprehend that standing still while spinning the rear tyres could possibly be considered 'driving'.

British sports cars? Why, assuming I were in that income bracket, given the choice between a muscle car and an Aston Martin DBS Vantage I'd always opt for the latter, is a phenomenon that will never cease to amaze me.

Edited March 21, 2020 by Junkman

[Junkman]

BTT.

This is my current daily.

It's the newest car I've ever owned and it is just now that I begin to realise that it isn't a modern car anymore.
I find that its Pininfarina styling has aged extremely well and there is a number of millennials out there appreciating that even more, going by the increasing number of comments I receive lately whenever I become stationary.
After a little car/garden wall interface I had to replace the front bumper cover. I deliberately chose the one from a saloon, since I find it prettier, and the millennials do recognise that, while the giffers don't even notice it. This alone shows me that while one generation is still ignoring cars like this completely, another is very knowledgeable and appreciative.
I would never have thought it'd ever become collectible, but prices slowly creeping up for the very few remaining examples prove me wrong. In France, they have already acquired some sort of cult status, who would have thought?

History doesn't stop. I've been at the launch parties of chod that is now rocking up at the shows and I bet you the next owner of my Peugeot will have it bought to do exactly that with it.

 

[Joe Handley]

2 hours ago, Motor City said:

'66 Fury convertible;

regarding another person's comment about muscle cars being "rubbish", I guess a lot of people like rubbish because they must know something about them that you don't 

Um, I did not intend to talk down on that C-Body and have seen them referred to as C-Barges in Mopar magazines over the years, usually it was in reference to the platform, as in C-Body and large size and more boat, IE barge, like nature of those cars vs the typical A, B, and E body muscle cars or pocket rocket nature of the hotter L-body and K-chassis cars, or even the Neons that replaced those. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Junkman said:

Well, I do understand that someone living 500 miles from the nearest twisty B road prefers muscle to handling, but I fail to comprehend that standing still while spinning the rear tyres could possibly be considered 'driving'.

British sports cars? Why, assuming I were in that income bracket, given the choice between a muscle car and an Aston Martin DBS Vantage I'd always opt for the latter, is a phenomenon that will never cease to amaze me.

First of all, I own a 2005 Honda S-2000, so I'm no stranger to twisty roads, and contrary to belief there are plenty of them right out my back door.

Second, I would much rather spend my time driving my '69 Pontiac Grand Prix than fixing a Triumph.

 

 

 

Steve

Edited March 21, 2020 by StevenGuthmiller

[Matt Bacon]

3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

First of all, I own a 2005 Honda S-2000, so I'm no stranger to twisty roads, and contrary to belief there are plenty of them right out my back door.

There you are... you already have a “youngtimer”/modern classic! I’d have one in a heartbeat... and so would a lot of younger folks if the people who own them who pop up in Modern Classics magazine are anything to go by. It’s telling that Modern Classics is going from strength to strength in the UK, but Hemmings shut down Sports and Exotics at more or less the same time as MC launched...

best,

M.

[Junkman]

5 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

First of all, I own a 2005 Honda S-2000, so I'm no stranger to twisty roads, and contrary to belief there are plenty of them right out my back door.

Second, I would much rather spend my time driving my '69 Pontiac Grand Prix than fixing a Triumph.

 

 

 

Steve

You are comparing apples with oranges. You wouldn't be able to make a downpayment on a '69 Grand Prix for the price of a Triumph.

[espo]

11 hours ago, Junkman said:

BTT.

This is my current daily.

It's the newest car I've ever owned and it is just now that I begin to realise that it isn't a modern car anymore.
I find that its Pininfarina styling has aged extremely well and there is a number of millennials out there appreciating that even more, going by the increasing number of comments I receive lately whenever I become stationary.
After a little car/garden wall interface I had to replace the front bumper cover. I deliberately chose the one from a saloon, since I find it prettier, and the millennials do recognise that, while the giffers don't even notice it. This alone shows me that while one generation is still ignoring cars like this completely, another is very knowledgeable and appreciative.
I would never have thought it'd ever become collectible, but prices slowly creeping up for the very few remaining examples prove me wrong. In France, they have already acquired some sort of cult status, who would have thought?

History doesn't stop. I've been at the launch parties of chod that is now rocking up at the shows and I bet you the next owner of my Peugeot will have it bought to do exactly that with it.

 

I don't know anything about the mechanicals of your car, but the styling is sure nice looking. I think the obvious care for it's appearance has a lot to do with that also. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 hours ago, Junkman said:

You are comparing apples with oranges. You wouldn't be able to make a downpayment on a '69 Grand Prix for the price of a Triumph.

Does value have something to do with it?

I missed that part of the discussion.

 

You stated that American muscle cars were "rubbish".

My only contention is that British cars from the same era were worse.

That's it.

 

 

Steve

[chepp]

On 3/14/2020 at 1:16 PM, chepp said:

I'm just thinking out loud, but maybe there will be an anti-car angle for some car collectors/customizers. As an example that I'm trying to repress the thought of, there was an especially hideously modified gold '70s AMC (Gremlin, Pacer?) in the main building near the pinstripers at the Grand National Roadster Show last month. Maybe cars like that will be part of the future of car culture. A new Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is being filmed -- if they include the flamed Pacer from the previous one it might be an indicator of interest in that sort of thing.

I didn't see anybody commenting on my post a couple of months ago. Chip Foose just made a drawing of a customized Pacer:

In my opinion he made it look pretty good, but I still don't find it appealing. Maybe this is part of the future of customizing despite what I think. How about you?

 

Here's a pic of the Gremlin at the Grand National Roadster Show that I mentioned in my March post. It's swiped from https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/01/31/32-ford-takes-americas-most-beautiful-roadster-honors/ .

Edited May 28, 2020 by chepp

[Snake45]

4 minutes ago, chepp said:

I didn't see anybody commenting on my post a couple of months ago. Chip Foose just made a drawing of a customized Pacer:

In my opinion he made it look pretty good, but I still don't find it appealing. Maybe this is part of the future of customizing despite what I think. How about you?

To paraphrase Chevy Chase in Deal of the Century, "I wouldn't drive that to a pig's bris." 

[slusher]

43 minutes ago, chepp said:

I didn't see anybody commenting on my post a couple of months ago. Chip Foose just made a drawing of a customized Pacer:

In my opinion he made it look pretty good, but I still don't find it appealing. Maybe this is part of the future of customizing despite what I think. How about you?

 

Here's a pic of the Gremlin at the Grand National Roadster Show that I mentioned in my March post. It's swiped from https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/01/31/32-ford-takes-americas-most-beautiful-roadster-honors/ .

 

If anyone could make the Pacer appealing it’s Chip Foose. I love his work!

[stavanzer]

That Gremlin is horrible.  Nuke it from Orbit, just to be sure, after you burn it.

[slusher]

3 minutes ago, alexis said:

That Gremlin is horrible.  Nuke it from Orbit, just to be sure, after you burn it.

It was over the top..

[StevenGuthmiller]

23 minutes ago, slusher said:

If anyone could make the Pacer appealing it’s Chip Foose. I love his work!

It's not possible.

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

14 minutes ago, alexis said:

That Gremlin is horrible.  Nuke it from Orbit, just to be sure, after you burn it.

Yeah, that's just hideous!

You can tell be the swarm of admiring spectators crowded around it.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited May 28, 2020 by StevenGuthmiller

[bismarck]

5 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Yeah, that's just hideous!

You can tell be the swarm of admiring spectators crowded around it.

 

 

 

 

Steve

?. Yep. Even customized, that thing looks hideous. Save the chassis, scrap the rest...

[Can-Con]

Man !! I think I gotta build a Pacer now. ?

[PowerPlant]

Interesting discussion, but I must say there is a lot of focus on American cars from the 80’s, which I personally have no interest in so I cannot contribute there... However, if you look at current prices and enthusiast fan bases for certain 80’s European cars, such as the E30 M3 BMW or the Lancia Delta HF Integrale to name just two off the top off my head, I think there is no doubt they are absolute future classics that will be held in high regard, and already are being rescued and restored. In that respect, I believe anything carrying a GTI, M, AMG or similar badge will always be desireable. Sensible family sedans and station wagons probably not so much  Furthermore, I think we must also take into consideration the general future of the automotive industry whereby soon enough anything with an internal combustion engine may be regarded as an “interesting classic worth saving”

Edited May 28, 2020 by PowerPlant

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, bismarck said:

?. Yep. Even customized, that thing looks hideous. Save the chassis, scrap the rest...

They might have been able to save it if they would have removed a couple more items.

Like say, the roof and doors!

 

 

 

 

Steve

[bismarck]

1 minute ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

They might have been able to save it if they would have removed a couple more items.

Like say, the roof and doors!

 

 

 

 

Steve

?? amen. 

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Yeah, that's just hideous!

You can tell be the swarm of admiring spectators crowded around it.

Steve

Looks like someone sprayed it with a double treatment of Car Enthusiast Repellent. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Looks like someone sprayed it with a double treatment of Car Enthusiast Repellent. 

I was wondering what that color was called.

Now I know.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

I just swallowed hard and went back to look at that glorious Gremlin again and noticed another detail that made me chuckle.

Did anyone notice the stickers on the door jamb?

 

Just in case anybody might want to know what the correct tire pressure should be for a stock Gremlin I guess.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Snake45]

9 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I just swallowed hard and went back to look at that glorious Gremlin again and noticed another detail that made me chuckle.

Did anyone notice the stickers on the door jamb?

Just in case anybody might want to know what the correct tire pressure should be for a stock Gremlin I guess.

Steve

The fact of the matter is, back in the '70s, both AMT and Monogram gave us kits of stuff that was even weirder, stranger, uglier, and more bizarre!  And SOME of us actually BOUGHT them!  You know who you are!