Interesting comment from Hagerty

[padgett]

Be glad if you have never experienced a benjo ditch. Be very glad.

[60FlatTop]

1" pipe cross the benjo ditch in front of the bar in Yokosuka. Walk across and drink free, fall and locked out.

[8E45E]

Just now, Peter Gariepy said:

 

Yet you use the "Antique Automobile CLUB of America" discussion forums.

Clubs have their place. From my perspective, your dislike is related to people, not clubs. (just saying)

And usually that dislike is because of only ONE person, not everyone in the club.

 

Craig

[1937hd45]

19 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

I remember a newspaper article from about 1910 reporting that the advent of automobiles and motorized street cars was creating a big problem for the army - because the breeders that supplied Cavalry horses were closing down from the increasing lack of demand...

 

Another article from the same period was titled the "The Automobile - Savior of the Modern City" – why? because it was replacing the horses. One need only read any period description of how filthy big cities were with thousands of pounds of horse buns and gallons of urine on the streets to get the point.

 

When one door closes, another opens for some.  Bob 

Edited December 14, 2020 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[Buffalowed Bill]

It's like preaching to the choir! I'm 76 yrs old, but I can find cars of interest in every era. My 80's and 90's cars are my transportation. An unintended bonus is that as these cars have drifted from view, some of my transportation cars have become noteworthy, to car people, as well as the man on the street. I was unable to find the article noted, but someone indicated it pertained to only foreign exotics, I don't know but I did find an article on trending luxury cars that I thought that I would pass on. Especially noteworthy to me because #1 on the list is the spittin image of the car I drove yesterday (1993, red, Lincoln Mark Vlll. Driving it always puts a smile on my face.😊

https://www.hagerty.com/media/valuation/80s-90s-luxury-car-market/

Edited December 14, 2020 by Buffalowed Bill (see edit history)

[padgett]

Always liked the '69 Mk III. Think only year a roof vent was available.

[Jim Skelly]

Other than the Ford GT and XK120, nothing else interests me on the list.  It looks like SUVs with hot engines is going to be the next big trend.

[Ed Luddy]

A 1980 model car is now 40 years old. That's an old car by most standards. Maybe not old enough for some of us, but keep up the snobbery about what you personally don't consider an eligible AACA vehicle and that will surely be the demise of the whole association.

[1937hd45]

Just now, Ed Luddy said:

A 1980 model car is now 40 years old. That's an old car by most standards. Maybe not old enough for some of us, but keep up the snobbery about what you personally don't consider an eligible AACA vehicle and that will surely be the demise of the whole association.

Other than four tires, please explain what a 1910 and 1980 vehicle have in common, also tell were they can tour together. Bob 

[Frank DuVal]

37 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Other than four tires, please explain what a 1910 and 1980 vehicle have in common,

There is 90% chance that there is a part that will interchange between the two vehicles. Can you guess?

 

They both could burn gasoline or use battery/electric motive power. Only steam is not used in the 80s for vehicle power for mass produced cars.

 

One can drive an 80s car slow enough to tour with the teens, if they drive last in line. I drove my Corvair on tour with model Ts and As, one T was a 1909 model.

[8E45E]

9 hours ago, Ed Luddy said:

A 1980 model car is now 40 years old. That's an old car by most standards. Maybe not old enough for some of us, but keep up the snobbery about what you personally don't consider an eligible AACA vehicle and that will surely be the demise of the whole association.

There are hardly any 1980 cars that were sold in North America that actually look good; especially with those ugly 5-mph bumpers hanging off each end, which is why the interest in them remains so low 40 years later.

 

To consider. In 1978, people were already collecting 1964-'66 Thunderbirds, what was then only a 12-14 year old car.  Fast-forward to 2020, how many do you know of restoring a 1978 Thunderbird?  One might stumble on a well-kept original at a car show, but very few are going to spend more than its worth for a good quality paint job on one.

 

Craig

[alsancle]

40 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

There are hardly any 1980 cars that were sold in North America that actually look good; especially with those ugly 5-mph bumpers hanging off each end, which is why the interest in them remains so low 40 years later.

 

To consider. In 1978, people were already collecting 1964-'66 Thunderbirds, what was then only a 12-14 year old car.  Fast-forward to 2020, how many do you know of restoring a 1978 Thunderbird?  One might stumble on a well-kept original at a car show, but very few are going to spend more than its worth for a good quality paint job on one.

 

Craig

 

There is an ass for every seat.  I had one of these in College and it is on my bucket list.   "1980 Camaro Z28 350 Four Speed in Blue/Silver"   There are plenty of Z28s but to get every checkbox in that quoted string is almost impossible.   The car below was sold by RK motors before I was paying attention.  Have not seen another since.

 

 

[8E45E]

15 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

There is an ass for every seat.  I had one of these in College and it is on my bucket list.   "1980 Camaro Z28 350 Four Speed in Blue/Silver"   There are plenty of Z28s but to get every checkbox in that quoted string is almost impossible.   The car below was sold by RK motors before I was paying attention.  Have not seen another since.

 

 

As I stated in previous posts, there was a way for the automakers to work WITH the 5-mph bumper law instead of against it right from the beginning in 1973.  GM proved it was possible starting in 1973 right when it was first enacted with the Grand Am and the Corvette, and the next year with the higher-end F-body Camaro & Firebirds.   Unfortunately, they didn't go all the way and do the same with the remainder of the product lines. 

 

If one can believe in 1980, the F-bodies were considered 'ancient' by then, being a ten year old product, but they were arguably the best looking of any 1980 car on the North American market with the 5-mph battering rams being stylistically concealed at each end.   That is one reason they still sold so well despite being a ten year old design, although performance suffered substantially.

 

Craig

[alsancle]

41 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

As I stated in previous posts, there was a way for the automakers to work WITH the 5-mph bumper law instead of against it right from the beginning in 1973.  GM proved it was possible starting in 1973 right when it was first enacted with the Grand Am and the Corvette, and the next year with the higher-end F-body Camaro & Firebirds.   Unfortunately, they didn't go all the way and do the same with the remainder of the product lines. 

 

If one can believe in 1980, the F-bodies were considered 'ancient' by then, being a ten year old product, but they were arguably the best looking of any 1980 car on the North American market with the 5-mph battering rams being stylistically concealed at each end.   That is one reason they still sold so well despite being a ten year old design, although performance suffered substantially.

 

Craig

I think you could still get the W72 in the Trans Am in 1980 or maybe 1979 was the last year.    That was the last REAL musclecar engine - 400 with 220HP.    The Z28 with 350 Engine was 190HP in 1980 and the car would go OK.  It sounded good.

[1937hd45]

8 hours ago, Peter Gariepy said:

 

 

 

Not saying stupid things dont happen, but the good far outweighs the bad.  

 

Clubs not your thing? So be it.  But to badmouth clubs (local and national) is petty.  (If you cant say something nice...).  It's doubly ironic to badmouth car clubs in a forum that is provided by a car club!  DUH!

The STUPID things you mentioned is the reason I walked in 1995, if it isn't fun any more, there isn't a reason to stay. This Forum is far more interesting than local club activities. Bob 

Edited December 15, 2020 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[padgett]

"There are hardly any 1980 cars that were sold in North America that actually look good"

Just look at my .sig.  Two are from 80s, could drive anywhere at any speed and cannot sit on bumpers. Do you not like a Fiero GT (had several) ?

 

 

 

[Matt Harwood]

17 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

 

No...were that the case I would not have taken it seriously. Rather, it was just about everyone with one or two exceptions - those people are still friends but I saw no reason to continue as a member. I've belonged to at least three car clubs at one time or another but I freely confess to not being all that sociable...evening meetings in restaurants I can't afford are not my cup of tea. Neither are the cliques and club politics. Perhaps that comes with age. I'd rather read a book – and have a few thousand of them to choose from. The fact is, I'm serious about what I do and hob-nobbing is not one of those things.

 

As to this forum...it's the only game in town. The HCCA forum is moribund and I've no interest in hot rods. The local AACA chapter meets at the opposite end of the state (not that RI is very big) but, in as much as I can see from their web site, it is overwhelmingly post-war...that's fine, I've no problem with others doing what they want but it isn't my interest any more than collecting depression glass. I think I've been as than generous as anyone with my time and talents where I can help others but I'm not going to pretend to be interested in things I'm not.

 

I will say that if I had a Franklin I would join the Franklin club. From what I've seen, they are more to my liking but until I'm much further along with my present project I can't even think about that.

 

+10 internets for using the word "moribund" in context and correctly.

[JACK M]

I may just be a fly on the wall here, but I would guess that to be a moderator takes a thicker skin.

Yelling rarely does any good.

But I do like to watch a good fight.

[8E45E]

4 hours ago, padgett said:

"There are hardly any 1980 cars that were sold in North America that actually look good"

Just look at my .sig.  Two are from 80s, could drive anywhere at any speed and cannot sit on bumpers. Do you not like a Fiero GT (had several) ?

 

 

 

 

Please note I typed "1980", not "1980's" in reference to that specific model year.

 

Craig

[Cadillac Fan]

26 minutes ago, JACK M said:

I may just be a fly on the wall here, but I would guess that to be a moderator takes a thicker skin.

Yelling rarely does any good.

But I do like to watch a good fight.

Maybe you should volunteer to do it.  

[padgett]

Specifically 1980 I can sorta understand and there have been specific "not so good" years for cars throughout history. e.g. 1974, 1964,  1944. But surrounding years are usually pretty good.

[edinmass]

On 12/12/2020 at 12:52 PM, Ed Luddy said:

I do believe 80's cars are starting to be seen as "collectible" I have a few and am looking for a nice 88 or so Trans Am GTA while they are still cheap.

My current fav is this.

 

 

 

I must be old......bought a new one for my girl in 88 for a graduation gift. I forbid her to drive it until I got back from Hershey and installed an alarm and a club so I wouldn't get stolen. When I got home, and opened the door asking why the driveway was empty she burst into tears......she HAD to drive it downtown to the bar on Friday night. It was gone in under three minutes. We recovered it five days later. That was the last time I bought a lady a new car.

[Paul Dobbin]

5 hours ago, padgett said:

"There are hardly any 1980 cars that were sold in North America that actually look good"

Just look at my .sig.  Two are from 80s, could drive anywhere at any speed and cannot sit on bumpers. Do you not like a Fiero GT (had several) ?

 

 

 

    Bought on once an it was like driving a air conditioned go cart!   At the Dupont Registry

    Cars and Coffee, they directed me to part with the Fararris.

[Matt Harwood]

I think the late production V6/5-speed Fieros (especially the Formula version) are great cars and very underrated.

[padgett]

None of the 80's GM FRAC cars get any respect. Think the last car you could sit on the bumper was Billy Mitchell's revenge (try that one trivia buffs)

[60FlatTop]

Looks like the fin got turned.

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[padgett]

Many GM cars of thew 80's had really long noses to help MPG.

[Larry Schramm]

I saw that report and having one on the vehicles on the list, I was surprised at the value of our VW Westfalia camper.

[Ed Luddy]

On 12/14/2020 at 9:59 PM, 1937hd45 said:

Other than four tires, please explain what a 1910 and 1980 vehicle have in common, also tell were they can tour together. Bob 

It's pretty clear that you feel you are above mingling with anyone who can appreciate a 40 yr old car as well as a 110 yr old car. I've travelled with my friend in his 1919 Dodge Bros. car with my late model Charger. Didn't bother either of us or anyone else I know of. If someone doesn't like my car because it's not as old as theirs is a usual sign of "snobbery" instead of "comradely." 

 

[Ed Luddy]

7 hours ago, edinmass said:

 

 

I must be old......bought a new one for my girl in 88 for a graduation gift. I forbid her to drive it until I got back from Hershey and installed an alarm and a club so I wouldn't get stolen. When I got home, and opened the door asking why the driveway was empty she burst into tears......she HAD to drive it downtown to the bar on Friday night. It was gone in under three minutes. We recovered it five days later. That was the last time I bought a lady a new car.

I bought a new 1986 Firebird and have had a few GTA's. Yes hard to believe they are "old cars".

[1937hd45]

2 hours ago, Ed Luddy said:

It's pretty clear that you feel you are above mingling with anyone who can appreciate a 40 yr old car as well as a 110 yr old car. I've travelled with my friend in his 1919 Dodge Bros. car with my late model Charger. Didn't bother either of us or anyone else I know of. If someone doesn't like my car because it's not as old as theirs is a usual sign of "snobbery" instead of "comradely." 

 

 

There isn't any reason to try to drive a 1912 Ford on an interstate, or a Charger on back roads at 35MPH. 

 

Bob 

[alsancle]

6 hours ago, Ed Luddy said:

It's pretty clear that you feel you are above mingling with anyone who can appreciate a 40 yr old car as well as a 110 yr old car. I've travelled with my friend in his 1919 Dodge Bros. car with my late model Charger. Didn't bother either of us or anyone else I know of. If someone doesn't like my car because it's not as old as theirs is a usual sign of "snobbery" instead of "comradely." 

 

 

I think if you met Bob in person you would see he's as far from a snob as you will find.   He is not very PC but I appreciate that about him.  

 

The AACA is a big tent and with a lot of stuff under it which can cause friction.   10-15 years ago this annoyed the heck out of me,  but I have come to realize that 25 year rule is probably what will keep the club alive.   

 

[edinmass]

This Friday, I was scheduled to take my 1917 White on a drive with a new McLaren. Along with a bunch of Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s. I won’t have it back together in time, so I will take the 1929 Stearns Knight. No big deal.

Edited December 16, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history)

[8E45E]

16 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

I think the late production V6/5-speed Fieros (especially the Formula version) are great cars and very underrated.

That was just one thing that got me turned off with GM back then.  Just when they got the Fiero 'right' for performance & handling in 1988 (after spending a claimed $30 million), they foolishly pulled the plug on it; especially so when the stillborn 1989 Fiero showed even more promise.  It didn't help when they overspent time and development money on the GM-21/W-body cars, all during the Roger Smith era.

 

Craig

Edited December 16, 2020 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

I have been exposed to old men associated with cars since I was 11 years old. What a lot of them confuse as camaraderie is really imposing their values and ideas on others.

[1937hd45]

10 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

I have been exposed to old men associated with cars since I was 11 years old. What a lot of them confuse as camaraderie is really imposing their values and ideas on others.

Funny, I see the younger outspoken DEMANDING you accept their outlook on life, not every one, the outspoken ones. 

 

Bob 

[SC38dls]

 Mom used to say - " Now children lets all play nicely together."  Lots of luck on that. 

dave s 

 

edited PS - as my older brothers beat the crap out of me. 

Edited December 16, 2020 by SC38DLS (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

11 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

There isn't any reason to try to drive a 1912 Ford on an interstate, or a Charger on back roads at 35MPH.

Yes to keeping Model Ts off the interstate as much as possible, but as to driving a charger at 35 mph, sure there is! Why is our enjoying our cars the way we want to so maddening to you? Now who's demanding I accept your outlook? I'll keep my outlook, thank you very much.😉

[padgett]

"1910 and 1980 vehicle have in common (otto cycle only) " Driver, petroleum based fuel, oil, seat(s).

'89 turbo Trans Am was faster than the super duties.

"tell were they can tour together." anywhere the speed limit is under 45mph and over 10mph for a car with a clutch.

 

Part of my issue is that within a 1/2 mile in any direction from my house the roads are multilane and have a 45 or more speed limit.

[Grimy]

14 minutes ago, padgett said:

"1910 and 1980 vehicle have in common (otto cycle only) "

And, NOT limited to Otto Cycle, SHRADER valves for inflating tires/tubes.......