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58L-Y8

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Everything posted by 58L-Y8

  1. Hi Erska, Here's a better look at the '28 Packard Six 533 either five passenger Phaeton or seven passenger Touring in 1950. Your Father looks happy with his new acquisition.
  2. No one has commented the rear bumper guards are missing. The rapid turn from the streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr prow and organically integrated fenders to the imposing 1941 Cadillac-inspired broad horizontal format produced quite a number of stylistic mismatches. Also some heavy, confused mish-mashes like the '42 Oldsmobile.
  3. Here's as good a look at the '32 Packard Twin Six 905 convertible coupe by Rollston as I can get.
  4. This individual has a 1929 Cadillac 341-B club sedan offered for sale: Link: https://charlottesville.craigslist.org/cto/d/amissville-1929-cadillac-fisher-door/7115215782.html I have no stake or interest in its sale.
  5. Rare '42 Lincoln-Zephyr three-window coupe offered by this individual: https://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/cto/d/putnam-valley-1942-lincoln-zephyr-3/7115298838.html I have no stake or interest in its sale.
  6. I had a $300 well-used 1967 in 1979-'81, easily the most fun to drive, best all around car I'd had. Styling still floors me forty years on, this car is hugely tempting. Of all the cars I've had over the decades, another 1966-'67 Toronado is at the top of the list, most of the others aren't or are on a list of 'don't want anymore of that car again!"
  7. Exner was having a Mannerist crisis, just like Michelangelo did, losing his touch for finesse and delicacy in design.
  8. Check out what was lurking in the background beyond the Lincoln exhibit: a Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood 'Madam X' Style 4175 seven passenger sedan/limousine!
  9. Here are photos of a 1927 Locomobile 8-80 sedan that was offered on eBay a few years ago. Once Locomobile came under his control as Billy Durant's luxury car, it was inevitable there would be less expensive series added to broaden the appeal beyond the grand Model 48. As was his wont to do with the Durant, Star and Flint, the 8-80 would source a proprietary engine, in this case, a Lycoming 298.6 ci L-Head straight eight to power its 130 inch wheelbase chassis. In its three model years as 8-80 and 8-88, pricing ranged from $2,650 to $5,250, though most models were in the $3,000-$3,500 bracket. According to The Standard Catalog by Kimes and Clark et al, annual Locomobile sales were fading as badly as the remainder of this empire: 1926: 2,586; 1927: 2,037; 1928: 1,112 and 1929: 327. Safe to assume the majority of sales were of the lower-priced Junior 8 and 8-80 lines. Of the Lycoming engine, it was popular with other makes in the price ranges: Auburn, Elcar, Gardner and Roamer.
  10. Wonder if this Edmund Davenport Stutz advertisement influenced a Stutz customer at the Cincinnati show?
  11. Ed: Your comments on this Hughes Patent for the Silver Arrow concept will be appreciated.
  12. Here's a better look at part of It:
  13. Drawing a blank on this sport roadster....Templar? With a hood that short, must have been a four cylinder.
  14. Look closely around the edges, the places people don't notice, at the cars offered by the dealer in question, revealing how rough they generally are. One of our region members just had to have a 1958 Plymouth Suburban so he bought one from this dealer. While those Forward Look Plymouths are rust-prone to begin with, the car when it showed up was a rusted mess that was badly misrepresented. If you check Craigslist frequently for older cars available throughout the country, more than once I've found an advertisement for some make and model that's presentable but not prefect, but still priced realistically. Shortly thereafter, the same car will show up in this dealer's advertisements priced double what it was in the Craigslist advertisement. My advice: Buyer Beware! Very Beware.
  15. Yes, one of its iterations. It wasn't enough of a mess as a dual wheeled town car!
  16. Wow! What a rarity! An eight cylinder 1940 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser L-Series 90 convertible phaeton, Model 403929, one of only 50 produced for 1940. At the factory price of $1,570, it was the most expensive Oldsmobile for that year, $439 dollars more than the Custom Cruiser Series 90 sedan at $1,131. The National Antique Oldsmobile Association is your best source for correct information and help restoring this rare gem. By way of background, Oldsmobile, beginning in 1940, got serious about competing more aggressively in the medium-priced luxury segment, elevating their heretofore eight cylinder Series 80 models to be designated Custom Cruiser L-Series 90. GM gave each division except Chevrolet the new Cadillac 60 Special-inspired Torpedo C-Bodies for their top or major line offerings. As noted, Pontiac created its Torpedo Eight, the first time that division was allowed use of the upscale C-Body shared up through the makes to Cadillac. Pontiac only had use of the C-Bodies for 1940 and 1941, though not the four door convertible sedan, settled back to the A and B bodies thereafter. Oldsmobile utilized it to upgrade to the Custom Cruiser L-Series 90, which became the 98 or Ninety-Eight dependent upon how much they promoted the car as a true luxury contender. Buick, already upmarket, created both the Super Series 50 and the Roadmaster became the Series 70. LaSalle, in its last model year of production, created the Series 52 Special and Cadillac their first Series 62 which would become their most popular mainstay model into the 1960's. In the 1940-1941 seasons during which these C-Body convertible phaetons (GM title for four door convertible sedan) where available, all were relatively low production models and generally the most expensive style in their model series. Four door convertible sedans, regardless of nameplate, due to the additional engineering, special bracing, heavier frames, unique top mechanisms and side window sets, trim and finishing were always either the most expensive body style offered or among such, considered the most luxurious style. As such, low production numbers relative to sedans was the norm. Even for a major company like GM, convertible sedans were a low production style, great for prestige image and to generate showroom traffic and positive publicity when seen at public gathering as VIP transportation. AlexH: You have a very special car there, take good care of it. Please keep us apprised of your progress to restore and preserve it.
  17. Checker sourced most of the powertrain and mechanical components from proprietary makers, engines from Buda, Continental, Lycoming, same for transmissions, and differentials, frames from A.O. Smith, much as any of the 'assembled' cars common in the Teen's and 1920's. Bodies and panels were their own stampings, some outsourced and generally in-house body builds, skilled body-makers were available, Limousine Body Co. was in Kalamazoo and if I recall correctly Hayes Body had an operation there too. Within the regions were plenty of stamping supplier of fenders, radiator shells, cast hardware, anything a company would need to build a series of cars. Primary engineering consideration for Checkers was to over-engineer all components for rough service and/or selected parts specifically with that purpose in mind. For the styling, all they had to do was try to remain reasonably with current styling trends and there were plenty of designers who free-lances designs to manufactures. Count de Sahkoffsky and even Ray Dietrich among others did so at various times. Remember, it was pretty easy to keep those individual design service just between the company and a designer, even if he was on the staff of a major carmaker. While individual parts may look similar to other contemporary cars, none interchange, they always had a little different look. None of the major carmakers considered Checker any threat to their sales, Checker didn't offer a car for private passenger sales until the 1960 model year. As far as "built for Checker by Chevrolet", only powertrains parts were sourced from GM/Chevrolet from 1965 on to the end in 1982. Up through the 1964 model year, Checker still ran the old Continental 226 ci L-head six last used by Kaiser-Willys, even offered an optional OHV version of the same engine. Checker made its own body panel stampings and did so under contract for a other carmakers including GM. In fact, that was their last product when they closed down in 2010, if I recall correctly.
  18. Yes, the Checker Y mug pretty bad but the heart-shaped radiator shell, high-flying fenders and snow-plow divided bumpers aren't much better. Distinctive, yes! Walt will correct me if I'm wrong, but John Inskip is credited with the Brewster frontal styling. Something tells me he was much more deft at body design than frontal ensemble which he never had to worry about on a Rolls-Royce.
  19. Distinctive and butt-ugly are in the eye of the beholder! Oh, Wait, that's supposed to be beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... BTW, take a look at how similar the Brewster town car and the Checker Model Y are in configuration and details. Interesting, wonder if Checker might have drawn design inspiration from the Brewster. An armored, black town car version of the Checker Model M was the personal transportation of the Chicago utilities mogul Sam Insull during the Depression in an effort to move incognito around the city in dangerous times for high-profile wealthy.
  20. Both are Checkers, top one early 1930's Model M, lower one the mid-1930's Model Y.
  21. Question is, who had more distinctive cars on the New York City avenues then? Brewster or Checker?
  22. If a single headlight is good enough for the Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive, its good enough for our Garford!
  23. A 'guilty pleasure' of sorts, but only in the nicest way: a 1962 Dodge Custom 880. What makes this oddity of interest was the hurried aspect of its being brought to market under duress by Dodge dealers livid at seeing the downsized, oddly-styled '62 Dodges and initially no 'full-sized' Dodge to sell. An amalgam of components i.e. 1961 Dodge Polara front clip grafted onto a 1962 Chrysler Newport body plus various carry-overs such as the '61 Dodge instrument panel, etc. The chassis and powertrain are the typical robust Mopar units shared with Chryslers. But other than the four door sedan, all other body styles such as the convertible (684) and hardtop station wagons (6-pass - 1174) and (9-pass - 890) are all relatively low numbers sold and few survivors now. If you like driving a car to any show, be it a Mopar gathering or general, showing up in a '62 Dodge Custom 880 is a guarantee you will be the ONLY one there and have to field more than one "what the heck Dodge is this?" question. The 1963-'64 880's are also rather nice and interesting, but received a pleasant but bland restyled front which removed much of the uniqueness of '62.
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