Amazing how time slips by....

[lordairgtar]

Love the Chaika, Mr Geiger. Thanks for the pics of the Volga, Mr Zeats. You can see the Buick and Packard influence in the design of that big sedan. A resin Checker marathon would give one a decent start on scratch/kitbashing one.

[slusher]

They're around! Many years ago I was headed to the hobby shop in New Jersey. Like most of us I scan car lots as I drive by and this time I did a double take. Right up front was a Chaika, the first time I had ever seen one in person! So I headed home for my camera and got full photo documentation.

More photos:http://public.fotki.com/modelcitizen/11_car_reference_library/chaika/

Great pictures Tom thanks for sharing them....

[Agent G]

get a retired ford Crown Vic, you'd be surprised how fast people get out of the way when you're driving one of those .. they're cheap too

They hold up well even after a law enforcement career. One thing though, they start to burn oil by the gallon at about 45,000 miles. The power train is bullet proof but something about 24/7/365 operation wears the engine to a point where it drinks oil. I'm talking like a quart, or more, per fillup on some of the higher mileage examples. Most agencies have a directive that the operator of the vehicle will check the oil at every fillup.

G

[charlie8575]

They hold up well even after a law enforcement career. One thing though, they start to burn oil by the gallon at about 45,000 miles. The power train is bullet proof but something about 24/7/365 operation wears the engine to a point where it drinks oil. I'm talking like a quart, or more, per fillup on some of the higher mileage examples. Most agencies have a directive that the operator of the vehicle will check the oil at every fillup.

G

Interesting.

My friends in livery service with Town Cars never had that kind of problem. Perhaps a different kind of operation environment (not as much idling, more reasonable speeds, etc.)?

I do know of a few Town Cars that would start smoking, but it would take in excess of 500,000 indicated miles for that to start happening.

Charlie Larkin

[Nxr]

How about crown victoria LTD's and early victorias from about 85-87 and the first gen from like 88 to 91 i believe, the elegant one. I honestly would even rock a 70's LTD's or galaxy but i imagine i would cause too many pissed off import drivers while taking 10 years to park in a tight Brooklyn spot

As for the town car and 500,000 miles, that makes me feel proud because i will always love that car, being the last "classic" based car to be made with white walls and all that.

Dont you, Charlie agree that the new Lincoln mkt or whatever with town car badges, does not deserve such an honorable name on such a robust looking car? Comfortable inside though... wont lie, but ugly!

Edited November 8, 2013 by Nxr

[Agent G]

Charlie it has to be related to the idle time logged on thee beasts. It occurred on every CVPI I ever drove from '95 on until about '02 when we switched to Impalas.

G

[lordairgtar]

This from a Russian movie about a flying GAZ 21

Edited November 9, 2013 by lordairgtar

[FASTBACK340]

I started a post on getting back to building and it morphed into Russian Gaz's.....? A little ADD are we?

FWIW: Starting on the bench tonight.

(BTW: Sorry to steer this back on-topic)

Edited November 10, 2013 by FASTBACK340

[Agent G]

Started a 1/72 scale tank and have a '49 Merc in the planning stages.

G

[FASTBACK340]

Started a 1/72 scale tank and have a '49 Merc in the planning stages.

G

Now THATS funny!!!!

[Agent G]

Now THATS funny!!!!

Go look in "All the rest" for a laugh!

G

[Nxr]

Excuse the Russian Volga nostalgia that invaded your post it just holds such great memories!

[jaydar]

"... they say the end is a wink of the eye..."

[charlie8575]

Dont you, Charlie agree that the new Lincoln mkt or whatever with town car badges, does not deserve such an honorable name on such a robust looking car? Comfortable inside though... wont lie, but ugly!

Personally, I would've liked to see them completely update the Town Car and continue to sell it, keep it rear-drive, frame would've been nice, and a V8, without question.

Putting the name on anything else waters it down, I don't care how good or bad the design it, a Town Car is a Town Car.

The flying brick LTDs and Grand Marquis (1979-91) are good cars, overall, as well. Very different in a lot of respects than a B/RWD C/D-Body GM car, but still a great car that will last for many years with proper care and maintenance.

Charlie Larkin

[Tom Geiger]

Personally, I would've liked to see them completely update the Town Car and continue to sell it, keep it rear-drive, frame would've been nice, and a V8, without question

I guess I don't know anything about the car market but I seriously wonder why Ford doesn't continue to crank out Crown Vics and Town cars for commercial use. They seem to be everywhere, and amazing as such that they haven't even been produced in a few years. Still, every taxi in Philly (except for one company that uses hybrid Altimas) is a beat to hell Vic! I know a guy I went to high school with, who owns a limo company and is beside himself with what to replace his aging (average 500,000 miles!) Town Car fleet with.

And Crown Vics are very popular in the Mid East! Ford was selling the extended wheelbase taxi version as the standard car there.

I don't know how they can walk away from those markets!

[Agent G]

Here in Vegas the Town Car is supreme. The stretch TC is slowly being replaced by anything you can imagine. Saw a stretched Lincoln MKT the other day outside the Golden Nugget.

G

[charlie8575]

I guess I don't know anything about the car market but I seriously wonder why Ford doesn't continue to crank out Crown Vics and Town cars for commercial use. They seem to be everywhere, and amazing as such that they haven't even been produced in a few years. Still, every taxi in Philly (except for one company that uses hybrid Altimas) is a beat to hell Vic! I know a guy I went to high school with, who owns a limo company and is beside himself with what to replace his aging (average 500,000 miles!) Town Car fleet with.

And Crown Vics are very popular in the Mid East! Ford was selling the extended wheelbase taxi version as the standard car there.

I don't know how they can walk away from those markets!

My understanding is that they're still being manufactured in Australia for sale elsewhere in the world that doesn't have the over-kill safety regs that we've ended up with.

The U.S. (and Canada to make the life of the American manufacturers who supply most of their cars) has safety standards many times tougher than globally-adopted safety standards.

What amazes me is that the Panther- one of the strongest, safest, best-built and longest-lasting cars ever to come from an American manufacturer, could not meet the 2012 standards- and I've seen those cars in very nasty accidents.

That right there should tell you the nannies went overboard.

Some interesting thoughts on the matter:

http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/sacrificing-lives-for-profits#axzz2krHZKMBK

http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/auto-safety-standards#axzz2krHZKMBK

Charlie Larkin