15 cars that refuse to die

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

https://autos.yahoo.com/photos/15-ca...275-slideshow/

This brought back plenty of memories as well as current events (having 2 of those 15 in my driveway). Some are the ones I shake my head at when I see them on the road, like that Prizm.

Which models "do it" for you?

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Had 2 of those.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Can you remember all your cars, in order?

'63 Chevy SS Convertible, 327/300, four on the floor
'63 1/2 Ford Galaxy 500 XL Fastback
1959 Jaguar XK150
1974 Buick Regal (1st New Car)
1976 Ford TBird (2nd New Car)
1979 Toyota Celica Hatchback
1978 Pontiac Trans Am
Some sort of 1970's Class C Motor Home (2 of them)
A few Datsun 210's (towed them in our business)
1983 Nissan 200SX
1984 Nissan 280ZX
1986 Nissan 300ZX
An 80's halfbreed Nissan/Datsun Pickup
'86 Chevy Van (piece of crap)
Dodge Dakota PU (New)
'95 Ford 1-ton Van (Piece of crap) (New)
'97 Ford 1-ton Van (ditto) (New)
?? Ford 1-ton Crew Cab Dually Conversion PU
2000 Pontiac Sunfire
2000 GMC Yukon (still have)
2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT (still have)
2006 Scion XA (Still have)

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

DH drives a Toyota Rav4 at work that just hit 300,000 miles

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I am surprised that the 1965-1973 Ford Mustang is not on the list. I have never had one, but they have style and dependability, and last a long time.

I am also surprised that the ''real'' VW Beetle is not on the llst.

Of the cars shown, the Volvo 1800 is the only one I would want to buy, as it is the only one with classic style. The P1800 and 1800S are unique for Volvo, most of whose cars were rather bland. The reason is the body was designed and built by a British sports car maker (I don't recall which one). As I recall, the P1800 are the ones with bodies built in the UK and then shipped to Sweden to have the drive train installed and the 1800S was built totally in Sweden from the British design. Roger Moore (later James Bond) drove one when he starred in the TV series ''The Saint'' where he played Simon Templar, and liked it so well he bought one for his own personal use.

I recall an article in one of the British classic car magazines, that among British cars, the marque that still had the highest percentage of those ever built still licensed and on the road was Rolls Royce, and the marque with the highest percentage still in running condition was Fraser-Nash. Fraser-Nash was the last car maker to use chain drive and last made cars in the 1950s, having started in the early 20th century, and so many are still in running condition because they were low production high end sports cars that people generally did not discard and a relatively high percentage are in museums.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Out of those, the one I would most want to have today is the Jag XK-150, followed by the SS convertible.

Can you remember all your cars, in order?

'63 Chevy SS Convertible, 327/300, four on the floor
'63 1/2 Ford Galaxy 500 XL Fastback
1959 Jaguar XK150
1974 Buick Regal (1st New Car)
1976 Ford TBird (2nd New Car)
1979 Toyota Celica Hatchback
1978 Pontiac Trans Am
Some sort of 1970's Class C Motor Home (2 of them)
A few Datsun 210's (towed them in our business)
1983 Nissan 200SX
1984 Nissan 280ZX
1986 Nissan 300ZX
An 80's halfbreed Nissan/Datsun Pickup
'86 Chevy Van (piece of crap)
Dodge Dakota PU (New)
'95 Ford 1-ton Van (Piece of crap) (New)
'97 Ford 1-ton Van (ditto) (New)
?? Ford 1-ton Crew Cab Dually Conversion PU
2000 Pontiac Sunfire
2000 GMC Yukon (still have)
2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT (still have)
2006 Scion XA (Still have)

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Out of those, the one I would most want to have today is the Jag XK-150, followed by the SS convertible.

Here they are as close as I can find . . . the same colors:

http://www.americandreamcars.com/195...ster082512.jpg

http://image.lowridermagazine.com/f/...2Btop_down.jpg

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

As far as the list goes, I don't like any of those cars and think the list should be called "make these cars go away".

My first car was a 63 Impala. The car I liked the most way back when was my 66 Malibu SS with the big block 396. I kind of like my wifes Infinity too.

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

I've owned 2 Volkswagen Vans (Kombi), 2 Volvos and one Saab. The Volkswagens were fun weekend vehicles, so slow that a hitchhiker complained he could walk faster ~~ fun to take to the beach and to sleep in. The Volvos rolled around corners like whales and were so heavy they kept me fit, so unfashionable that friends would grimace if I parked outside their home. The Saab continually died, it had a great boot for getting the baby pram in and out (its only redeeming feature), hubcaps cost $120 each to replace, I lost 3 one year ~ biggest money pit ever.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

As far as the list goes, I don't like any of those cars and think the list should be called "make these cars go away".

My first car was a 63 Impala. The car I liked the most way back when was my 66 Malibu SS with the big block 396. I kind of like my wifes Infinity too.

Actually, I would MUCH rather drive a Volvo P1800 than any car of any make of the 2014/15 model years, with the possible exception of a Morgan. For the rest of the list, I would agree with you.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I am sure your Volvo would not be a P1800 or 1800S, then.

I've owned 2 Volkswagen Vans (Kombi), 2 Volvos and one Saab. The Volkswagens were fun weekend vehicles, so slow that a hitchhiker complained he could walk faster ~~ fun to take to the beach and to sleep in. The Volvos rolled around corners like whales and were so heavy they kept me fit, so unfashionable that friends would grimace if I parked outside their home. The Saab continually died, it had a great boot for getting the baby pram in and out (its only redeeming feature), hubcaps cost $120 each to replace, I lost 3 one year ~ biggest money pit ever.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Yes.

1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass
1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass
1970 Buick LeSabre
1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible (still my main warm weather car, been through several restorations, engine rebuilds, etc.)
1978 Mercury Marquis
1976 Chrysler Cordoba (only post -1973 American vehicle I ever really liked the style of; neighbors son backed into it while parked in front of our house)
1969 Oldsmobile 442 hardtop (sold for a profit when I bought the '68)
1971 Triumph Spitfire
1968 Oldsmobile 442 hardtop (lots of rare factory options, I made a good profit when I sold it after driving it two years to a fellow member of the Oldsmobile Club of America)
1968 MGB (still my secondary warm weather car)
1964 Studebaker GT Hawk (primary winter car until I sold it when I took a job in Europe, and still regret selling it but needed the storage space at the time in the garage) (only ~1800 built)

During the time I was back in the states before coming back to Europe, I needed another winter car, and my wife wanted me to buy something newer, so I compromised and bought her a second car, which I drove during that period, which has now been turned over to my daughter in law. I don't count that one. I don't want to buy a car in my name that I don't like the style of, and other than a Morgan there is nothing of the more recent era that I would care to own. I was tempted to buy what I wanted, and I saw an appealing 1966 Volvo 1800 and a 1970 Opel GT, but passed on those. I figured I would likely be turning that car over to a family member anyway.

I have toyed with the idea of buying a car to use over here, but always decided against it, since I have a driver and vehicle on staff anyway. For the summers, I would love to ship the MGB over, but it is too low slung for many of the roads in eastern Europe. I had contemplated finding in western Europe a classic VW beetle or a Citroen 2CV, both simple classics with a reputation for durability, buying it and driving it here to use.

Other cars that I have owned but did not put on the road were:
1961 Singer Gazelle convertible
1952 Sunbeam-Talbot 90
1954 Sunbeam-Talbot Alpine
I bought the Gazelle to restore, but then ran across the pair of Sunbeam-Talbots in Raleigh and bought them. I sold the Gazelle for a small profit. In checking around for some parts for the Alpine like a convertible top frame, one of the British classic car specialists I talked to happened to pass my name onto another of his customers who had been looking for a Talbot Alpine for a while, and he drove down from Richmand and made me an offer I could not refuse. I still sort of regret that, as I have not since run into as interesting British cars to restore. The Sunbeam-Talbots had wonderful British 1950s styling, and the 90, a 4 door hardtop had lots of parts in common with the Alpine, which was a 2 seat sports car.

Can you remember all your cars, in order?

'63 Chevy SS Convertible, 327/300, four on the floor
'63 1/2 Ford Galaxy 500 XL Fastback
1959 Jaguar XK150
1974 Buick Regal (1st New Car)
1976 Ford TBird (2nd New Car)
1979 Toyota Celica Hatchback
1978 Pontiac Trans Am
Some sort of 1970's Class C Motor Home (2 of them)
A few Datsun 210's (towed them in our business)
1983 Nissan 200SX
1984 Nissan 280ZX
1986 Nissan 300ZX
An 80's halfbreed Nissan/Datsun Pickup
'86 Chevy Van (piece of crap)
Dodge Dakota PU (New)
'95 Ford 1-ton Van (Piece of crap) (New)
'97 Ford 1-ton Van (ditto) (New)
?? Ford 1-ton Crew Cab Dually Conversion PU
2000 Pontiac Sunfire
2000 GMC Yukon (still have)
2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT (still have)
2006 Scion XA (Still have)

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

My favorite car my Dad had was a '62 Olds Delta 88, pretty close to this one:

http://cimages3.carsforsale.com/3591...D6725BE1_1.jpg

It was the car I borrowed infrequently. I just missed getting it as my first car, and it went to a son of one of his co-workers.

Great car!

When dad and I went car-shopping, the first one we looked at was a disassemble/being restored AH 3000:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jjqv_F4iq4...ley_dsfrnt.jpg

That made the '63 Chevy Impala SS convertible a welcomed relief for him. It was 3 years old, $1600, quite high for then.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

This is the one I had sitting in my garage waiting to restore, that I still kick myself for selling:

https://www.google.com/search?q=sunb...w=1034&bih=583

Of course mine still needed some work than the ones in these pictures - paint, new interior, new convertible top frame, new convertible top, transmission overhaul, but I would loved to have gotten it into the condition of those in the pictures. Scattered through are some other Sunbeam-Talbots and Sunbeams, including a few 90's.

And here is a Singer Gazelle convertible like the one I had:

http://classiccars.brightwells.com/v...ls.php?id=1045

This is a series IIIB and mine was series IIIA but there are few differences in appearance.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

We always made fun of those back in the day, saying the Singers were made by the sewing machine company and Sunbeam was made by a local company of the same name that was in the baking business making among other things, Sunbeam bread.