A few weeks ago, I was hustling off to work when I stumbled across this interesting sight. I had to stop and take a few pics, even at the risk of being late. These pictures weren’t posed or staged- this scene was completely random,which makes it all the more cool. At the time that I took these pictures, the owners of the apartment complex where I live were in the process of rewiring and painting all the garage units. Since the vehicles had to be moved before the work could be completed, this led to the discovery of all sorts of interesting old iron- some of which hadn’t seen the light of day in years. There’s also a ‘57 Chevy pickup and a ‘64-‘66 Olds Dynamic 88 4-door sedan lurking near my apartment, but I’ve only caught quick glimpses of them. Another neighbor has a fairly nice ‘73 Impala convertible with factory 454 power under the hood.
I sort of know the owners of both these cars. The ‘74 Lincoln Continental is owned by a young fellow who moved in here less than two years ago. The car isn’t a showpiece- it’s got a few small dents and the paint is dull and faded. But it’s clean and straight with no rust or accident damage. Even the interior is quite nice, considering its age and the fact that it’s parked outside. I frequently see the owner cleaning it or performing routine maintenance on it. It’s never dirty either.
The story behind the ‘71 Chevy Impala is interesting. It belongs to another neighbor’s son. Both father and son own similar vehicles. The dad’s is clean, straight, rust-free, completely original, semi daily driven, and sports the rare optional 402 cubic inch big block under the hood. The son’s Imp pictured here was originally purchased as a father-son project. It sports a mildly warmed-over 350 / 400 small block and a custom interior. While pops has kept his own ride in really good shape, the son’s is thrashed. The front end is crunched, the whole passenger side is a network of dents, creases, and scars, and the right front fender looks like a smashed beer can. The damage occurred long ago and was never fixed. Several times I’ve spotted junior flying through the complex and out the back gate like Godzilla was chasing him, and at least a couple of times I’ve seen him pulled over by the city’s finest. I almost got pancaked by him once when I carelessly walked from behind a van without looking, as he was exiting the property at his usual breakneck pace. I jumped back just in time- I don’t think he ever even saw me.
I haven’t seen or talked to either of them in months, so I don’t know how them or their cars are doing.
I sort of know the owners of both these cars. The ‘74 Lincoln Continental is owned by a young fellow who moved in here less than two years ago. The car isn’t a showpiece- it’s got a few small dents and the paint is dull and faded. But it’s clean and straight with no rust or accident damage. Even the interior is quite nice, considering its age and the fact that it’s parked outside. I frequently see the owner cleaning it or performing routine maintenance on it. It’s never dirty either.
The story behind the ‘71 Chevy Impala is interesting. It belongs to another neighbor’s son. Both father and son own similar vehicles. The dad’s is clean, straight, rust-free, completely original, semi daily driven, and sports the rare optional 402 cubic inch big block under the hood. The son’s Imp pictured here was originally purchased as a father-son project. It sports a mildly warmed-over 350 / 400 small block and a custom interior. While pops has kept his own ride in really good shape, the son’s is thrashed. The front end is crunched, the whole passenger side is a network of dents, creases, and scars, and the right front fender looks like a smashed beer can. The damage occurred long ago and was never fixed. Several times I’ve spotted junior flying through the complex and out the back gate like Godzilla was chasing him, and at least a couple of times I’ve seen him pulled over by the city’s finest. I almost got pancaked by him once when I carelessly walked from behind a van without looking, as he was exiting the property at his usual breakneck pace. I jumped back just in time- I don’t think he ever even saw me.
I haven’t seen or talked to either of them in months, so I don’t know how them or their cars are doing.
I have an odd attraction to the 74 Continental. It is perhaps the most conservative of the entire series. The interior is the end of the old-school look of straight pleated leather or some kind of brocade cloth – the onslaught of loose pillows and velour would strike with a vengeance in 1975. Both the front and rear treatments should have stayed around another year or two.
Apartment and condo parking garages often have interesting cars hidden in them that do not see the light of day for years, even decades. The condo where I lived from the mid-90s to the mid-00s had a Model T, two Model As, and a derelict Lamborghini Countach missing numerous parts (spoiler, mirrors, etc.) and using a cheap old battery as a wheel chock. The building had many elderly residents when it first opened, and the cars belonged to elderly widows who never got around to doing something about the late husband’s antique car.
Your neighbors’ situation sounds like the polar opposite: young single men with still-unfashionable and cheap 1970s classics. Perhaps the producers of “The Americans” should contact them; their cars would fit perfectly into that program!
The summer condo we go to has a few CCs. A Triumph TR7, BMW E30, Mini Moke, and an 80’s Lincoln Town Car and Grand Marquis which are both owned by the same person. At the housing project outside my town there was a blue Plymouth Gran Fury and a pea green Volare wagon which had both been donked a few years ago.
I almost thought the Continental was a Grand Marquis from the taillights. If I wouldn’t have read the article, I would have sworn that these were owned by the same person and that said owner was probably not the most popular person in his condo complex.
I know I wasn’t when I had 3 land barges parked in various locations around my complex.
Interesting pictures. The way those cars are parked, it looks like the Lincoln is snubbing the Impala. In a way, I suppose that makes sense, since the Impala is the neighborhood bad boy.
In the first two pics, I find it looks like the bad guys hangout from an episode of Barnaby Jones.
I am waiting for Vic Morrow and Chuck Connors to storm out of that apartment complex and hop into the Chev and Lincoln respectively and burn rubber in opposite directions.
HAHA….a Quinn Martin Production.
That was great.
Act III
My own CC ’75 Corvette stays parked outside 24 / 7, while my ’72 Delta rag stayed hidden in the garage until I moved it to a boat / rv storage yard nearby. I’m not bringing the Olds home until I get it running. Pushing that thing out of the way to access the overhead storage locker in my apartment garage every time is a major pain in the ass.
“It was a the best of musty times, and worst of rusty times. Behold, the Tale of Two Beaters.”
On that 71 Chevy . . . Wouldn’t the presence of fender skirts make it a Caprice? If I could only see the area between the tailights.
I used to think that myself- until I got up close and saw the factory rear sail badges that said “Impala Custom”.
I’m guessing the Custom was marketed to those who wanted something a little nicer than the base Impala, but couldn’t afford the Caprice.
In 1971-72, the skirts were an option on Impalas, and that is not the only defining feature of a Caprice.
Weren’t the Caprice skirts deeper too?