Cars

[sparks]

Seems to be a topic of interest.....

Let's see..

Once upon a time I owned one of these........

1963 Renault Dauphine
1962 Pontiac ...Catalina
1956 Chevy Belair
1966 Corvair
1966 Pontiac GTO
1964 Pontiac GTO
1966 Ford Mustang
1967 Plymouth Valiant
1969 Pontiac Trans Am (grandaddy of all of them)
1968 Chevy van
1972 Plymouth Valiant
1975 to 1983 Datsun 280Z's (four of them)
Two brand new Ford Rangers.....edit...three
One new 2005 Mustang GT...

And a bunch I believe I don't recall

Never bought a brand new foreign car.......something about the Jaguars tho....always caught my eye


sparks

[MountainDon]

...I always wanted a Jaguar XK120, but I ended up with...
used unless noted [new]

53 Ford with hot rodded Merc flathead, heads, 3x2 carbs, & stuff
58 Volvo 544
61 Volvo 544
66 Volvo 121
68 Volvo 122 road racer, extremely modified
     affectionately known as Victor
58 Ford F500 ex milk truck turned race car carrier,
     with Olds 455 V8, B&M hydramatic, 3x2 carbs
68 Volvo 123 modified street car
68 Chevy Biscayne 396 [new]
80 Mazda B2000 pickup [new]
78 Scout Traveler, modified
79 VW Westfalia camper, ended up with a Porsche 911 engine
    lime green, known as The Green Monster
74 Volvo 244
82 Toyota Land Cruiser wagon, 4 cyl diesel
84 Suzuki SJ410, modified [new]
86 Bronco II, slightly modified
79 Jeep CJ5, highly modified
99 Jeep Cherokee, moderately modified
95 Ford Escort
95 Honda Civic
98 Ford Escort
06 Honda Civic [new]

Motorcycles:
50 Triumph 350 twin, very used
60 Norton Manx 500 single
66 Matchless G85 500 single
66 Ducati 250 single, modified [new]
67 Ducati 350 single, modified
68 BSA Victor 441 single
69 BSA Lightning 650 twin
72 Ducati 450 Desmo single [new]


RV:
1983 Chevy G30, 23 ft class C Country Squire [still have it]

[desimulacra]

ahhh a 1969 Trans Am. I'm a TA buff..owned several. But a 69 Trans Am eluded my grasp.  How did it run Sparks?

[Whitlock]

I'm going to add my tractors or my list will look weak
           

           41 GMC CCKW (still own)
           47 chevy fleetline
           49 Buick (I chopped the top on this one)
           57 Dodge 300c with two fours and a himi
           67 Chevelle Malibu SS ( my favorite)
           71 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 ( still own)
           88 toyota 4x4 (still own)
           04 toyota tacoma 4x4(still own)

           Tractors-
           41 International TD-6 dozer (still own)
           50's John Deere 10/10 track layer loader ( still own)
           03 kabota B7100 (still own)
           
           I also had a triumph 500cc twin
           

[MountainDon]

Whitlock, Those early Mopars with the original hemis were  . Still are.

And the army trucks are  too.

[ScottA]

Might hurt my brain trying to remember them all, lets see.

69 Pontiac Grand Prix SS
69 Pontiac Grand Prix SS (yes I had 2 but not at the same time)
72 Ford LTD
74 Plymoth Fury
74 Chevelle Malibu Classic
76 Mercury Capri
78 GMC 1/2 ton Pickup
79 Ford F150
79 International Scout
79 Datsun
83 Ford F250
85 Ford Crown Vic
89 Ford Tarus
91 GMC 3/4 ton Pickup
91 Chevy S-10 ( I still drive this truck had it over 10 years)
94 Subaru
99 Chevy Astro Van
2001 Buick Le Sabre
2006 Ford F-150

I had a few others that passed through my hands briefly but can't recall them all plus about 1/2 dozen motercycles.

[sparks]

ahhh a 1969 Trans Am. I'm a TA buff..owned several. But a 69 Trans Am eluded my grasp.  How did it run Sparks?

Yeah Desi, the 69TA's were quite rare. Only 697 were made. 7 were convertables. another handful had the Ram Air IV engines installed at the factory. Mine was the standard 335 HP RA III (400 ci)

Those TA's were really nothing more than glorified Firebirds, but they turned a lot of heads and gave name to a product that made one heluva lot of money for GM.

To answer your question......it was pretty quick and handled surprising well for a car of that era.

Only got beat street racing by stock street muscle cars twice.......one was a 69 Z28 ( just barely).... and the other was a 69 Judge (he blew my doors off)   Got outrun a few times by guys with modified engines.

Wish I still had it   

Here's one: http://flickr.com/photos/30976025@N05/2903186534/


sparks


edit: great find...http://www.1969transam.com/

[Redoverfarm]

For the most part I should have kept the majority.

62 VW Van
64 Olsds F-85
69 Ply Fury III
72 Olds 442
76 Dodge Monico
78 Mercury Marq
54 GMC 1/2 ton
78 Chev C10
80 Dodge 1/2 ton
86 Ford F-150
88 Toyoto Van
86 Jeep Wagoneer
90 Jeep Wagoneer
93 Jeep Wagoneer
93 Pontiac GPrix (wifes) (tree fell on it and demolished it so she took over the jeep)
98 Subaru Outback
04 Volvo S60(still own)
99 Ford F250

OK a little guessing.  I went through a divorce several years back.  Who can guess by the year and type vehicles when it was?

[sparks]

Hey Mtn Don, I'll bet that 68 Biscayne was one heck of a grocery getter!!


sparks

[MountainDon]

It was an offbeat kind of car... plain white 2 door sedan, cheap little hub caps. The only factory options were the radio, heavy duty suspension package (taxi, I think it was) and the 375 HP 396 with 4 speed. I subbed a set of higher performance tires after purchase. Because it looked so cheap many folks didn't believe the 396 flags on the front fenders were real. They quickly learned.   

[glenn kangiser]

Starting w/ the 54GMC? John hmm

[sparks]

It was an offbeat kind of car... plain white 2 door sedan, cheap little hub caps. The only factory options were the radio, heavy duty suspension package (taxi, I think it was) and the 375 HP 396 with 4 speed. I subbed a set of higher performance tires after purchase. Because it looked so cheap many folks didn't believe the 396 flags on the front fenders were real. They quickly learned.   

The 60's lead sleds always amazed me. Nearly 4000 lbs and a bazillion inches under the hood. When I was younger, the next door neighbor kid had just gotten his license. His dad had a 68 Impala with a 427. One night we went out and ruined the rear tires. Man, was his dad pissed



sparks

[MountainDon]

Up until about 1988, when I got my first 6 cylinder, I either had small 4 cylinders (2.0 liter max) or big V8's. The 396 handled like crap and braked worse; the 2 liter (modified) Volvo 123 could beat it from a standing start up to about 30 mph (lower gears). It could also run away from it given a curvy road. The 2 liter 122 racer could run circles around the 396. But the 396 did what it did seemingly effortlessly with no fuss, no bother.

And I forgot one car...     how could I do that? ...

1960 Austin Healey Sprite, the bug eyed Mark I. 948 cc four cylinder, twin SU carbs.... carbs with oil in them    very british, strange. It was my first club racer.

[sparks]

Nearly bought a 60 Healy one time, don't recall the model ......100-6 ??

That Dauphine I refered to earlier....my first car. Looked like a derby hat going down the road. 845 cc's. Wet cylinder liners. 3 speed transaxle. got almost 40 mph....going down hill with a good wind behind it. had a good heater....water cooled rear engine car....it was fun . learned a lot. (and it was French!!!!)

Mine was probably the same color until it oxidized:

http://flickr.com/photos/steffe/2219859599/


sparks

[MountainDon]

I remember those Dauphine's. Renault was well represented in Canada back then.


The Healey 100-6 had more style than the Sprite. Of course it didn't take much to have more style than the Sprite.   

I had a friend back then who had a Healey 3000, later version of the 100-6, with a Chevy small block V8 in it.    It was a lot of headaches. And another friend with a Mazda RX3 with a Chevy V8 (327, I think)  Lots of craziness going on.

[sparks]

If it was a 100-six, I was looking at chances are it wouldn't have been recognisable.....most of it was in card board boxes. Basket case.

sparks

[Redoverfarm]

Very observant 

[sparks]

Found this;

http://www.1969transam.com/

A lot of good info if you're a TA nut.


sparks

[glenn kangiser]

I am - I am --- oh ... a Pontiac.

[MaineRhino]

From my first to present...

67 Pontiac Tempest
72 AMC Javelin SST
73 Javelin AMX
74 Javelin SST
69 Thunderbird
78 Impala
72 Dodge truck
80's Sunbird
90 Chevy S-10
85 Buick Regal
69 AMC AMX
A few company cars, forget the brand....
Pontiac 6000
92 Chevy 2500HD (new, still have)
2000 ZR2 Blazer
2004 Impala SS
2006 Impala SS (new, still drive in summer only)
2005 Dodge Durango Limited w/Hemi & Tow package (still have and use daily)

And a few other cars and trucks that I can't seem to recall....

[river place]

Heres a list of cars and bikes with first at top of list.

1976 Monza with V8.  Great car which beat many a Porche, Mustang and may other auto X racing in the early 80's
1979 Trans Am with WS6 package.  My first all wheel disk car and a great touring machine
1980 corvette which I still have today but much modified for roadrace track days and it's still street legal
1966 Austin healy Sprite
1973 MG Midget
1975 MG Midget
1976 MonteCarlo given to me because it wouldn't run.  replaced fuel filter and it ran for years as Monte carlo and the engine was then used in wifes K5 Blazer
1985 Mercedes 300D Turbo sold with 285K miles on it
2002 Tacomma 4x4
2004 GMC 2500 crew cab diesel (used to tow vette to track and haul materials to our place in AR)


Bikes:

1968 Honda CT70 which I still own but is in very sad shape
1971 Honda SL 100
1973? Suzuki TM 125 MX
1975 Honda CB200
1979 Yamaha YZ250 MX
1985? Moto Guzzi V50 Monza
1977 Yamaha RD 400 built up as an evil machine
1984 Honda SC700 night hawk
2004 BMW BoxerCup Replica 1100S Still own for street and track day use
2000 Triumph Trophy 1200 sport touring bike.  In process of pulling head to replace valve seals
1974 Honda TL125.  Still have it and bought because I always wanted one as a kid
1998 Yamaha TW200 which I use for trail riding

[Redoverfarm]

A few from the good ole days.

http://thefiftiesandsixties.com/CarsWeDrove.htm

[Sassy]

Good video, Red - lots of memories!

[MountainDon]

  John.


Something simple like the roadster in the opening clip would be nice today

Some readers may be interested in following this over to

Don and Peter's Hot Rod Corner

[Windpower]

1960 Ford Falcon (or Fool can as my dad called them)

1966 Olds F85

1973 Ford Pinto (OK I was lucky nobody rear-ended me)

1966 Plymouth Belvidere(IIRC) 318 ci

1976 Ford 150 Econoline van

1972 Suzuki 250

1976 Husqvarna 250  (still have it)

(30 years of company lease vehicles most of them too boring to mention)

1984 Toyota PU 4 WD (still have it, runs pretty good too)

2004 Subaru Outback (still have it, wife's car)

2007 Ford Wind Star van (still have it)

1974 (I think) Ford 3400 tractor with bucket


1951 Cessna 170A (she still owns me)

Here she is with her (wheel)pants off