Mint 1969 Shelby GT500 found under 40 years of dust

[alicewonders]

yeah, but what a way to go!

 

[EC]

Alright - dream car you had, the '56 Merc. Give me the chance of any vehicle at all on the planet though, and it has to be this baby.



Ugly as sin, loud as hell, the bloody coolant pumps clog if you look at them cross eyed, but you are fine if you know where to punch,  the turbines desynch as if they are on the clock, and it's typical Russian engineering - it works until suddenly it doesn't. I'd trade a year in any car posted here for another hour in one of these. Try put me in the tac seat, I'll put you in hospital.

Well, except for Oceander's 2 tyrannosaurus powered beast (which probably weighs more than her with a full loadout.) That thing - he can drive. I am not brave enough for that. 

[aligncare]

I love classic cars. By the way, driver controls and engine gauges should remain forever analog – none of this digital speedometer stuff that Honda tried.

My history:

1. Baby blue '64 Triumph Spitfire, sport car, then off to Nam.
2. Back in-country, silver gray '69 Datsun 2000, sport car, my roommate ran a blue MGB (the girls didn't stand a chance)
3. Then, the love of my life!: metallic tan '70 Mercury Cougar, XR7, retractable headlights, brown leather interior, 351 Cleveland engine. The wife totaled it 10 years later. I still mourn – for the car, not the wife.

[DCPatriot]

My best friends older brother had a 63 split window that I thought was cool! Probably the best looking vette ever built in fact!

The 1st Corvette I owned was a 1964 Navy Blue convertible...bought 'used' for only $2695.00 back in 1967.

It was stolen and the FBI contacted me years later and I drove up to Toronto, Ontario, Canada...to identify it.  Still had one of my socks inside the battery compartment.  LOL!

The 'split window' coupe was NOT recognized as a classic back then....dumb a$$es we were.

One thing....the older Stingrays ran very hot behind that firewall.  Air-conditioning was not an appreciated feature in Buffalo, NY.

Driving it in the Summer was not much fun after awhile.

[Bigun]

The 1st Corvette I owned was a 1964 Navy Blue convertible...bought 'used' for only $2695.00 back in 1967.

It was stolen and the FBI contacted me years later and I drove up to Toronto, Ontario, Canada...to identify it.  Still had one of my socks inside the battery compartment.  LOL!

The 'split window' coupe was NOT recognized as a classic back then....dumb a$$es we were.

One thing....the older Stingrays ran very hot behind that firewall.  Air-conditioning was not an appreciated feature in Buffalo, NY.

Driving it in the Summer was not much fun after awhile.

My recollections of driving or riding in corvettes is not one of creature comfort being foremost in the thinking of those who owned them.  They were designed to be high performance vehicles and fulfilled that requirement quite well!  Touring cars they decidedly are not and never have been.   

[DCPatriot]

My recollections of driving or riding in corvettes is not one of creature comfort being foremost in the thinking of those who owned them.  They were designed to be high performance vehicles and fulfilled that requirement quite well!  Touring cars they decidedly are not and never have been.

Agreed!  Corvette was the last American car I owned.

Switched to BMWs for that very reason.   I had a 1999 M3....and a 2000 M5, which at the time was the fastest production automobile on the planet.   



1999 M3




2000 M5 

[Bigun]

Agreed!  Corvette was the last American car I owned.

Switched to BMWs for that very reason.   I had a 1999 M3....and a 2000 M5, which at the time was the fastest production automobile on the planet.   



1999 M3




2000 M5

Finest touring automobile I ever owned bar none!





1986 Saab 900 Turbo

Mine had well over 300 thousand miles on it when I got rid of it and still ran perfectly!  The only other thing Saab made when this car was built was jet fighter aircraft for NATO and the car was built to those standards IMHO.

[Relic]

My recollections of driving or riding in corvettes is not one of creature comfort being foremost in the thinking of those who owned them.  They were designed to be high performance vehicles and fulfilled that requirement quite well!  Touring cars they decidedly are not and never have been.

They have progressively gotten much better. I had an 87, and it was a delight to drive. Reliability was an issue, but part of that is I bought it used, and I think someone before me dogged the car.

I've driven a C5 Corvette, and those are even more refined, but there is something to be said for the more raw feel of a C4 Corvette.

I currently drive an Acura TL. Great car, and is sporty enough to keep me from missing the Corvette.

[Bigun]

They have progressively gotten much better. I had an 87, and it was a delight to drive. Reliability was an issue, but part of that is I bought it used, and I think someone before me dogged the car.

I've driven a C5 Corvette, and those are even more refined, but there is something to be said for the more raw feel of a C4 Corvette.

That may well be and I wouldn't know because I haven't sat in one since the early 1970s for the reasons stated above.

[DCPatriot]

Finest touring automobile I ever owned bar none!





1986 Saab 900 Turbo

Mine had well over 300 thousand miles on it when I got rid of it and still ran perfectly!  The only other thing Saab made when this car was built was jet fighter aircraft for NATO and the car was built to those standards IMHO.

My brother-in-law had a Saab like that.   The most comfortable cockpit seats in the automobile world.

However....for some reason it didn't have air-conditioning.  Hot humid Washington region weather is no fun without CAC.

[EC]

My brother-in-law had a Saab like that.   The most comfortable cockpit seats in the automobile world.

However....for some reason it didn't have air-conditioning.  Hot humid Washington region weather is no fun without CAC.

They are Swedes. Aircon comes a distinct third behind starting and not freezing! 

[Bigun]

They are Swedes. Aircon comes a distinct third behind starting and not freezing! 

LOL! Mine had air conditioning and the heater was first rate!

[EC]

But think of the fun you missed!

Car, parked in the hot sun all day while you are out and about and having fun. Sliding on to the vinyl seats to start the engine, with the gentle waft of scorched flesh refreshing the car.

There is a good reason our generation wear long shorts and full T-shirts! 

[Bigun]

But think of the fun you missed!

Car, parked in the hot sun all day while you are out and about and having fun. Sliding on to the vinyl seats to start the engine, with the gentle waft of scorched flesh refreshing the car.

There is a good reason our generation wear long shorts and full T-shirts! 

ABSOLUTELY!!! 

[Oceander]

But think of the fun you missed!

Car, parked in the hot sun all day while you are out and about and having fun. Sliding on to the vinyl seats to start the engine, with the gentle waft of scorched flesh refreshing the car.

There is a good reason our generation wear long shorts and full T-shirts! 

I remember those days.  When we went to visit my grandparents in FL we'd drive to the beach in my grandmother's 1976 Lincoln Continental Mk IV - pale yellow with brown vinyl roof - like this (just imagine the roof dark brown):

getting back into that thing was like getting into an oven, and the dark brown leather seats were darned hot too.

Speaking of which, those were the days when leather seats were real leather, not the paper thin stuff they use now.

The engine was a beauty too: 460 cid with a four barrel carb.  It floated like a boat and I used to call it the pimpmobile (after my g'ma passed and my dad got the car).

[alicewonders]

But think of the fun you missed!

Car, parked in the hot sun all day while you are out and about and having fun. Sliding on to the vinyl seats to start the engine, with the gentle waft of scorched flesh refreshing the car.

There is a good reason our generation wear long shorts and full T-shirts! 

Totally off-topic, but a good tip for those who are into multi-tasking.  On hot sunny days, you can actually put a cookie sheet with blobs of cookie dough in your back car window when you go to work in the morning - and get into your car after work with the smell of freshly baked cookies in the air! 

It also drowns out the smell of your scorched flesh if you are wearing shorts.

 

[Oceander]

LOL! Mine had air conditioning and the heater was first rate!

My form of air conditioning was the little triangular window at the front of the door; loved to turn that thing all the way in so you got a rush of air over you as you drove.  'course the fun sort of wore off when you got stuck in traffic.

[Oceander]

Totally off-topic, but a good tip for those who are into multi-tasking.  On hot sunny days, you can actually put a cookie sheet with blobs of cookie dough in your back car window when you go to work in the morning - and get into your car after work with the smell of freshly baked cookies in the air! 

It also drowns out the smell of your scorched flesh if you are wearing shorts.

 

sounds like the perfect dessert to go with the pot roast and baked potatoes cooked on your exhaust manifold while you drove home from work!