The 2018 CC Midwest Gathering is now in the history books. Well, almost. As I began writing this, one of the contributors who attended was still en route back home in a car he picked up while at the gathering.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. This Honda, fit enough to be a camper, did not go home with anybody but it does make for a fabulous leading picture.
Leaving Jefferson City Thursday afternoon in my swoon-inducing Ford van, I met contributor Jim Klein at the hotel.
Our subsequent adventure found these English beauties suffering from a distinct failure to motivate. We found these shortly after Jim stated incredulously “damn, there’s a lot of American cars around here.”
He now believes my frequent claim about the preponderance of W-body GM cars still on the prowl. He also saw more Land Rovers than he did Subarus.
Oddly, both Bentleys had missing grilles and/or drivetrains.
Some have been officially off the road for a dozen years or better.
The pick of the litter, such as it was, would be this fair-skinned fraulein. I spent Thursday night at my in-laws house.
It seems Jim Klein was excited to visit Country Classic Cars (CCC) in Staunton, Illinois. No sooner had I put the van in park at the motel upon arriving Friday morning than Jim was getting into the van. He was quick, too, as he was nowhere to be seen as I entered the parking lot.
Meeting us at CCC shortly after our arrival was contributor JPCavanaugh and readers Rich C and VanillaDude.
Describing the abundance of inventory at CCC is hard to do as it is simply so expansive. Cars are contained in five or six large buildings, under numerous carports that are up to several hundred feet long, and out in the elements. Their website says they have over 600 cars in inventory and the sheet I picked up with their inventory as of September 11 is over four pages long, front and back, typed in very small font. Every model year, except two, from 1927 to 1998 are accounted for. The oldest is a 1923.
A 1969 Ford Country Sedan wagon was the pick of the litter for several of us. Nobody got pictures as we later realized; we were too busy slobbering all over it, sitting inside and inspecting every square inch of that light blue, 351 powered goddess of long roof-dom. I’ve discovered similar to be the case with several other primo cars.
Before I dive too far into this tale, one thing about the inventory at CCC was obvious – it had an abundance of full-sized Fords from 1967 to about 1975. While Paul couldn’t make it, we mentioned him with every spotting of one.
This black 1971 LTD coupe was by the gate, welcoming all visitors.
It’s white bucket seat interior with handle shifter is no doubt a rarity.
Also from the monumental year of 1971 was this coupe…
This blue convertible….
And this red convertible. Mark my words: One of these days, these 1971 Ford LTDs will be held in the same high esteem as any Duesenberg, Marmon, or Pierce-Arrow.
This 1973 LTD was advertised as having only 6,800 miles on it, undoubtedly making it the lowest mileage ’73 Ford around. VanillaDude and I had a good-spirited debate about it. He thought the car repugnant; I maintained it is lithe with the various lines and creases projecting a ripped muscularity, especially when compared to its competitors from Dodge, Plymouth, and Chevrolet in 1973.
We good-naturedly agreed to disagree.
One that did present itself better, despite being dirty, was this 1970 LTD. This car was so good I was compelled to text Paul a picture of it. At that moment in time he was working on the plumbing in his camper.
Rounding out the run of LTD is this 1969 two-door….
And this rather plain 1975-ish LTD two-door. Keep in mind all of these fabulous LTDs were built on the same basic chassis and it is Ford’s second best selling car platform ever, behind only the Model T.
The market knows a good thing when it sees it.
As I’m hoping to dispose of my ’63 Galaxie, my mind has been running wild with countless possible replacements, although I’m in no hurry for that. This 1983 Chrysler Cordoba was a distinct candidate as I’ll be seeking something from my formative years. With a red cloth interior, a 318, and only 44,000 miles it would make a great cruiser.
For a touch of something traditional yet not, this 1979 Buick Riviera intrigued me. How is it untraditional? It’s powered by a 3.8 liter turbocharged V6.
Since I’ve touched upon untraditional, let’s broaden that a bit to include unusual. This 1975 Dodge Charger isn’t overly unusual, but let’s look at the interior.
Wow! Nothing is turning up at oldcarbrochures.com that explains what this pattern is officially called. My daughter said it would be great for people with kids as it would neatly camouflage barf stains.
It’s hard to know if that interior is any more rare than is this 1989 LaForza. Made it Italy, it was sold in the US with a Ford powertrain. It was quite comfortable to sit in and the console was as unobtrusive as the day is long.
Even more rare than the LaForza is this Chrysler Fifth Avenue pickup. Obviously hand built, the quality was pretty darn decent.
Speaking of quality, something about the rear of this steel roofed 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood bothered us. Can you tell what that might be?
Another bothersome find was this Mercedes. Well, it was bothersome for Jim Klein and the bother wasn’t on the outside.
The bother was on the inside. He was surprised MB-Tex could look like this. However, the SL has leather upholstery which is an entirely different critter.
Another bothersome find was the front of this 1976 Buick Century wagon. I have yet to figure out what is so wrong about it, but the opinions were stacked against me about four to one. Granted, the execution is a might better on the 1976 Monte Carlo, the 1977 Dodge Monaco, the Ford LTD II, etc.
The angst came in multiples as there were two 1976 Century wagons available. This one was used in an HBO movie about Liberace. Somehow I don’t see Liberace driving a Buick wagon.
There was nothing bothersome about this 1978 Catalina wagon. About as sparse as they could come, this Pontiac had 77,000 miles and a factory CB radio. I’m not a profound fan of GM B-bodies, but this one was nice.
I took nearly 300 pictures at this gathering so there is no way to include them all, especially those from CCC. But there are a few more crucial ones to include before continuing on our journey, as pre-war and independent make cars are a key part of our automotive history.
This 1939 Cadillac is one of those crucial cars.
As is a 1937 DeSoto. A 1938 DeSoto that looked even better was also present.
This 1931 Nash is proof of the tenacity of the independents.
As is this 1929 Essex Six.
The independent makes continued after the war with AMC being the last man standing. As harsh as it sounds, this 1975 Matador is part of why AMC is no longer around. This particular one is powered by a 258 straight six.
That said, this 43,000 mile 1978 Concord was a sweet car.
Our last car in and of itself is nothing phenomenal – it’s a 1965 Mercury convertible.
But like with people, it is what’s on the inside that counts. How many convertibles did Mercury make with a four-speed manual? About five, most likely.
From there VanillaDude went home and rest of the party convoyed to St. Louis.
The next morning the two Jim’s and I headed for the Museum of Transportation. This was what we followed out of the hotel parking lot; a sad looking 1988 to 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria, a car that with its earth-toned rainbow front end and three different dealer stickers on the trunk lid, it was obviously on its final voyage.
It was a POS LTD that was SOL in STL.
While at the museum we obeyed the abundance of attorney generated warning signs (mainly because we’re too, uh, mature to climb)….
Only to watch someone gleefully stick his finger up to exposed high voltage electric lines. As was pointed out, there was nothing saying not to, so it looks like JPC can’t be impounded by the safety brigade.
Rich C had driven his 1976 Monte Carlo to the museum. He’s owned it since 2008 and has doubled the mileage – to all of 28,000. Powered by a 350, and with the original spare tire in the trunk, this Monte Carlo is a true time capsule.
I maintain (most) stacked headlights are the most awesomely awesome bit of automotive awesomeness ever.
He also brought along another time capsule. This is a 1958 era child car seat Rich’s siblings used. It’s advertised as a safe way for baby to sit or stand. I’d take my chances on that high powered electric line as it’ll end it all much quicker with less mess. That car seat is a great period piece but as for using it, no thanks.
While we were ogling Rich’s Monte Carlo, this Pontiac 6000 LE wagon pulled in. It was driven by an employee of the museum.
The interior is immaculate.
On the topic of awesome interiors, one of the docents of the museum gave us a real treat. This is the outside.
This is part of the inside. Every time I’ve been to the museum, this car is locked. Built in 1923, it was an executive coach used by the railroad.
Ever seen stained glass on a door inside a railroad car?
This particular car had wood trim everyone we looked except for the galley and employee shower – which had the toilet mounted square in the middle, allowing a person to multitask. If one shaved while in there, they could perform “The Three S’s” all at once.
This particular car was used in a 1995 HBO movie about Harry Truman.
Here’s a clip of it with the train playing a distinct role from 1:50 to 4:30. According to the docent this car was sent to Kansas City for filming; the train station depicting Weston was likely filmed on location as Weston is a small town midway between Kansas City and St. Joseph.
That car was attached to another passenger car built in 1923 that is a bit more austere.
While I’ve featured it before, it must be shown again – a Chrysler Turbine. This is the third one seen at various CC events.
It’s interior was amazing in its own way. This particular Turbine is the only operational one on public display.
After leaving the museum we met up with JPC II who is currently living in St. Louis. We found this Volvo C70 convertible in the parking lot.
Later, we saw these two Lincoln’s in the downtown area. Quite the change from 1970 (give or take a year) and the early 2000s.
It was a terrific shade of gun metal gray. That’s a second Town Car in the left lane.
For our last car, we succeeding in finding two siblings. Not, it wasn’t another LTD. This is simply more scarce. Parked in front of a motel that stated only adult men would be admitted, let me show you a product from the proud manufacturing lines of General Motors….
The second Pontiac 6000 LE we had seen within five hours.
Had this weekend been any better, we would have seen two downsized Chrysler Cordobas in one day.
Oh wait; we did. It was a great weekend.
And you’ll have to stay tuned to see who took home a different ride and, more importantly, what it was.
Quite an impressive collection. I think my pick would be the blue ’71 LTD convertible. Trying to figure out the car in front of it though, ’60s Studebaker Hawk?
Seems to me that JPC would be ok touching the electric cables on a locomotive since he isn’t actually a conductor.
Yes, it was a Studebaker Hawk. Remember my statement about swooning over some really primo cars and not getting pictures? Well, yeah.
“Seems to me that JPC would be ok touching the electric cables on a locomotive since he isn’t actually a conductor.”
At least you didn’t say it’s because I’m a lawyer. 🙂
Based on the split-roof design of the Hawk, it’s a ’64 Gran Turismo. The final year of production was the only time this was available as factory production. The front split could also be ordered with a vinyl overlay.
Re: the 1975 Dodge Charger
I kept thinking I vaguely remembered that patterned fabric interior–and finally the brain cells fired. It was used in the 1975 Chrysler Cordoba, and later perhaps in other “special edition” versions of Dodge and Chrysler (the Sundance Edition? The Southwest Edition?).
In the Chrysler, it was called “Castillian” when used in the Cordoba, but may have had other names as a part of the special editions. It apparently was the first, or among the first, jacquard fabrics in automobiles. (I’m not certain about it’s industry usage. I’m thinking Buick and Cadillac had jacquard fabrics in the early 60’s. Yeah, I’m old. )
Here’s a pic of the same interior in red in another Curbside Classic article:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1976-chrysler-cordoba-fine-corinthian-brougham/
You have a very good memory. Thanks for clarifying this as being at a loss for information drives me crazy.
Yup. My father’s ’75 Cordoba had the red Castillian interior treatment. An aunt nearly refused to ride in the car, proclaiming that she was sure to get carsick from the optical onslaught. She didn’t, but it was a short ride. My mother did intervene in ’77 when it was replaced with a very sedate Monte Carlo with light tan vinyl.
Lol, Dan! I drove a ’73 LTD once. Was dropping it off for a neighbor. Got on the highway before I realized how loose the steering was, and the brakes were super-grabby. Scariest thing I ever drove!
Learning to drive on one (my parents car)… it became my very first car.
What your saying is true, but you can get used to anything. Sure, the driver’s ed school that I attended had much better handling Dodge Darts (’72 if memory serves), but that ’73 LTD proved I could drive anything!
I even parallel parked that beast on my driver’s test for my licence. I got it in on the first shot; huge a$$ blind spot and all!
Like when the batter is on deck and is swinging the bats with the weights before stepping up to the plate with a normal bat… MUCH easier.
Everything I’ve owned since then handles better that that car ever did (except maybe in the snow, what with that road hugging weight and all – LOL), but I still have fond memories of it… But let’s put down the rose colored glasses for the moment, shall we?… I bet if I were to drive it today, I’d complain, “WTF is wrong with this thing?!?!?!”
JPC: I’ll spare you the link to your CC this time, as I don’t want to “ruin your day” ;o)
Looks like a great time was had by all – sorry I had to duck out at the last minute… the wagon mentioned near the top would have been of particular interest for me, too, having spent many a formative year in our ‘68 Country Squire LTD.
It was indeed a good time but I get why you couldn’t come. You would have enjoyed the Country Sedan.
Awesome. I so regret not being able to go. Now the Staunton museum is on my must-see list.
Even better, it’s not a museum but a classic car dealer, so you can drive out in anything you care to make a deal on.
Not to be picky, but I believe the green LTD is a ’72, not a ’71 (picture #9).
The ’71 had a deep recess of the front grill. The ’72 grill is more flush (but I would still take it if I had room in my driveway).
Same thing for the red LTD Convertible (picture #11). I think its a ’72 as well.
Yes, pictures #9 & #11 are ’72 LTD(s). The horizontal bar going across the dip down in the bumper is a dead give away.
It’s easier to tell the difference between the ’71 & ’72 by looking at the back, as the taillights changed changed more significantly than that front bumper.
Having had a ’73 almost exactly like the one pictured in my post above, I know these LTD(s) pretty well. I REALLY wanted a ’72 convertible (the last one) back when I had my ’73.
I really like that ’69 you all saw, but that roof-line looks like an XL to me (the one in the 14th picture down).
Yes that tan car with the fastbacky roof line is definitely an XL. My folks had a ’68. If you look real close you can see the XL badge on the rear deck. Here’s the ’69 LTD two-door hardtop.
Wow, I wish I could have been there. For the Gooles alone, let alone everything else!
There’s so much to comment on with these pictures, but one that really sticks out in my mind is the Fifth Avenue pickup. I’ve seen plenty of custom Cadillac pickups over the years, even a Mercedes pickup, but why someone would go to an equivalent amount of effort to create a Chrysler M-Body truck is beyond my understanding. Which is why it’s so intriguing.
And the LaForza! That’s a car I thought I’d never see. To modern eyes it’s simply bizarre to see an SUV with a roughly contemporary shape and with small wheels.
Of course I have a special affinity for the ’76 Century wagon, which is the car my parents drove when I was a kid. Same color too – Mt. Vernon Cream. I remember the color name well because dad liked it so much he bought Mt. Vernon Cream spray paint to respray our house’s radiator covers sometime in the 1980s.
And the stubbornly independent person in me deeply wants that Concord.
It’s great to see the pictures inside of that railcar as well. Truly outstanding!
Still sorry I couldn’t be there, but I’m glad to see the pics. Looks like you all had a great time!
Didn’t your father’s Century wagon have bucket seats also?
Of those two wagons, the Liberace-mobile was better equipped and had ultra-low mileage. The one in Mt Vernon Cream was fairly plain although both were in very good shape.
Yes, Dad ordered his wagon with bucket seats — probably one of only about 3 people who did so.
I figured the Mt. Vernon cream wagon a CCC was rather sparsely equipped because it didn’t have a passenger-side mirror. But if I were to buy either one of these, I’d have to figure in the cost of a paint job for the Liberace-mobile.
Very nice indeed, I too am sorry I was not able to attend.
I guess they wouldn’t move on the 1938 Desoto Jason? Or am I actually the person who took home a ride?
Sweet looking Rambler wagon behind the 1969 LTD. Looking at it on the website it seems like their pricing is 2-3 times what you could find privately if you looked for a while. On the other hand, when Paul is seized by LTD desire he knows where to find one right away 🙂
I think we all sent Paul a text picture or two of various LTDs just in case he wanted us to have them hold “something special” for him while he arranged the next flight out.
In general I think the consensus was that the “asking” prices started at about 2-2.5x what we would consider reasonable responding to in a private party ad. For pickups or very special stuff it was closer to reality but rarely “low”. That being said while we were there a steady stream of vehicles seemed to be getting pulled for checkups and presumable shipments. As well as several vehicles getting offloaded still with their auction paperwork etc on the seats and by the time we left every one of those cars was on the lot with a price on the windshield ready for sale, so there is definitely plenty of turnover.
Doug my pick of the litter would have been the ’83 Cordoba as it’s simply so much different than the Galaxie. Of course that answer could change by sundown. The DeSotos were great but just didn’t speak to me in the same way.
This is a weekend I would have really loved to have been a part of. I could easily have gotten lost at Country Classic for weeks though, so it’s probably for the best that I’m stuck in Tampa.
The suspense regarding the new purchase is killing us all I’m sure.
It was indeed a great time. CCC was truly an old car overload. One thing that did not hit me until after we had gone was that we saw just as many fuselage Mopars as we saw LaForzas – which is to say one (a 69 or 70 Plymouth Fury convertible ). Compared with more 69-70 Fords seen in one location since Jimmy Carter was president, it was sort of like BackwardsLand.
Jason, you failed to mention that everyone who drove brought a CC. Besides RichC’s Monte Carlo there was VanillaDude’s gorgeous 03 Crown Vic Sport, your fabulous Curbside Classic Conversion Coach and me in the 98 Honda Civic which I got on temporary loan from my daughter.
And the part about how 3 Js may or may not have successfully slipped unobserved into a private event at another area classic car dealer in order to observe and admire their inventory.
Many thanks for your work in making it all happen.
It was amazing to meet the guys behind all these great articles and postings. It was like meeting cousins you never met but were instantly familiar with. The next time JPC comes up to Staunton, I’ll be better prepared with a few folding chairs, a cooler iced with drinks and more time.
I was there over three hours but still didn’t see everything. Next time, I’ll need six hours. Being a working guy playing hokey from work and family, I wish I could have spend the entire weekend.
It is uncommon to meet a group of guys as interested in autos as Rick, JPC and Jason.
I’d like to do this again very soon – and JPC, when you have time, I’d like to get together in St. Louis and hang around you and just listen.
Thanks to all,
VanillaDude
VanillaDude and Rich, it was a pleasure meeting you guys (always thrilling to see the people behind the comments) and get your take on the various vehicles etc. A friendlier batch of people than our commenters can’t be imagined, hailing from all walks of life as usual. As much as the cars are of interest and supposedly the stars of the show, actually meeting the people I’ve “virtually” gotten to know in some way over the years is really the highlight here. Thank you guys for coming out for a good day or two.
“I’d like to get together in St. Louis and hang around you and just listen.”
Haha, thanks for the kind words and it was great to meet you as well. Can I put you in touch with my children so that you might have some influence their value of my opinions? 🙂
Sure – I’m already being ignored by three of mine, what’s a few more?
As far as the private event afterward goes I think it was your shirt in particular (muscle car print collared shirt) that precluded us from being questioned and/or escorted out. It was a perfect fit. As opposed to my flip flops and cargo shorts look…I can only presume it was an event such as a customer appreciation event or the like as opposed to one where everybody knows everybody else.
The key of course is pretending to belong, just marching right around, being friendly and smiling to people encountered. Of course when we were all looking at the cars that were right next to the catering setup and I started looking over the hors d’ouevres as to what was on offer is where I potentially could have (but didn’t) crossed a line. But what better way to fit in than to actually walk around with a little canape in hand and then perhaps make our way to the bar! Or dance floor…Overall it was a lovely evening and a very nice celebration of something, none of us knew specifically what.
Oh, I thought the Fit camper was your Fit.
Jim, I started down the party-crashing path as well as an explanation of DFWI but that would have put me up to 5,000 words or so….
For you having driven the Honda I regret not looking at closer than I did. From what you’ve said about it, it’s a tremendously resilient car.
The dealership suffered a disastrous fire a few years ago. It is nice to know that it has survived, maybe even flourished, since then. They seem to have had no problem replacing inventory lost in that event.
What did those who visited the dealer think about prices? Were all cars marked or did the inventory sheet indicate pricing?
I have known about the dealership for years and have driven within striking distance of it but alas . . .
Pricing seemed quite high to me, but then I would suspect that if a guy showed up with cash in his hand and serious about buying those prices might be negotiated down significantly. But this is just a guess. The alternative is that they hold onto these cars and concentrate on selling and shipping to overseas buyers who will pay a lot more than Americans for cars like these.
I am SO bummed I missed this meet-up. What an incredible array of interesting vehicles. As I sat on my (delayed) flight from New York to Chicago on Friday night, lamenting the fact that I wasn’t in Staunton/St. Louis, I imagined all that I was missing–and it turned out my notions weren’t as good as what was actually on display.
We missed you as well along with various others for whom the hurricane but a serious damper on their plans. Next time!
Pretty sure I have never seen a 1939 Cadillac before. Quite a collection of patina in that photo, the Camaro in the back of that row, the Ford next to the Cadillac, and the Nash orwhateveritis behnd it.
That photo of the ’69 Ford really accentuates its rear roof line. Quite a slope, reminiscent of the Charger of that era.
Great shots, great place to visit! Hope I could ever get there one day.
The bucket & console option in the ’71 LTD is rare, for sure. My theory is that they had a goodly supply of these setups left over from the ’70 XL, and had to use them up.
They were also offered in the Galaxie 500 and Canada’s own Meteor Montcalm that year. They didn’t return for ’72, although, curiously a bucket & console option lasted into the mid-70s on Mexican-built LTDs.
“… something about the rear of this steel roofed 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood bothered us. Can you tell what that might be?”
My aunt had a similar steel roof ’86 Sedan DeVille.. The rubber seal, which was originally body color, flaked and needed to be replaced, an only could get black. While some look down on these, to her, it was a ‘luxury car’ and had it from early 90’s to 2004 or so.
Several lifetimes ago I had a 1971 Ford LTD two door hardtop as a company car. This was when I was working for the fifth-rate loan company in Lexington, Kentucky right after I decided that I needed a break from college. The LTD was a repo and had some scrape marks along both sides as apparently the previous owner was a little parking challenged. The LTD was a hoot to drive, especially as I didn’t have to worry about paying for gas. As I recall it had the 400 CID V8 with a two barrel carb and got around 10 MPG in everyday driving. This was in the spring and summer of 1973 so before the first gas crisis; that 10 MPG would have been a big problem the following year but I was long gone from that job by then.
I have been to the Transportation Museum in St. Louis, although it was probably 10-12 years ago. A few years ago, when we decided that we “needed” to own another convertible, I spent some time on the Country Classic Cars website looking for a vehicle. As someone said above the prices tend to be at the high range of what seems appropriate. They must sell a lot of cars though as their inventory seems to turn over pretty quickly. Sounds like a good time was had by all.
The Fit camper is a labor of love and/or insanity. Looks worse than some of the cobbled-together vehicle challenges on old Top Gear.
I am *digging* the interior upholstery on that 75 Charger. That needs to go in an old domestic pickup that I can drive around the American Southwest, pronto.
Honda Fit; Why, unless to save a wreck? It’s only marginally better than a stock Fit as a camper, much worse at anything else and still not a match for a stock minivan for camping.
Big Fords; I have an inclination towards the Chevys from this era, but had I been a new-car shopper instead of a newborn in that era, I’d probably be among those moving to a better-equipped midsize.
Charger; I think that’s Boca Raton cloth. Once you got down to brass tacks and ordered it, it was code E3KW; http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/dealerships/1975ColorAndTrim-03.shtml
Caddy; I guess you weren’t supposed to buy a Fleetwood without a padded top in a light color. Or they just painted over the rubber molding when the car was new and that paint’s long gone even though the rest is pristine. Either way they’d have been better off reserving the ensmallened window for Fleetwoods with vinyl tops and using the DeVille’s full size rear window here. 20/20 hindsight.
Century; one of the girls I knew in HS had a sedan in that same beige. It was one of the few ’70s cars left in 1991-2 having spent most of its’ service life with her grandmother in Florida. But can’t you tell the coupe was the priority in the facelift?
Pontiac 6000; You’ve seen more of the rarest A-bodies in that day than I have in 10 years. An occasional Chevy Celebrity has survived the cull due to sheer numbers, and Oldsmobuicks with their extended run are still hanging on. But these…wow.
Thanks, Jason. I wish I could have made it, but money and vacation time concerns won out. I think what ruins the front of the Century is those square vertical park/turn signal lights. The Monte is very similar, but looks fine since those park/turns are where God intended, in the bumper.
I understand on why it was not possible to come, plus it’s not like you live close.
Agreed on the stacked headlights. On the Century, I also think the headlights need to be inboard just a little bit as on the Monte.
The LaForza looks a lot like a shortened version of the second generation P38A Range Rover. I wonder if it somehow influenced its styling, though I have never seen that mentioned anywhere before.
That 1975 Dodge Charger has the Navajo interior option
CCC is the sort of place I need to stay away from, lest something stick to me.
Right now, I am busy resisting this, on offer in Florida. Had I meandered through CCC’s inventory, the 85 VW Cabriolet they have might have looked so rational in comparison, that it might have stuck to me.
The Alliance in your pic looks much better than the Rabbit Cabriolet did in person, FWIW. I have to imagine that Cabrio was some kind of trade-in, it was a bit out of place at CCC. You should get the Alliance, what could possibly go wrong? 🙂 It will enjoy getting back closer to its birthplace.
The Alliance in your pic looks much better than the Rabbit Cabriolet did in person,
That VW looks better in pix too. Either JPC or Jason posted a few pix of the visit to CCC on FB and I inquired about the VW, which has been there at least since before the fire. The response was it looked better in the pix than it did in person.
You should get the Alliance, what could possibly go wrong? 🙂
There actually is a cadre of Renault enthusiasts on FB that advise the same. One still uses his Alliance as a daily driver, with 250,000 miles on the clock, and 10 parts cars to keep it going. The guys on the Renault page have discussed trying to 3D print plastic parts that have transmuted into unobtanium. I floated the same idea to a couple former AMC styling department guys at the Orphan show a couple weeks ago. One of them really lit up, as the last project he was working on before retiring from Chrysler was the process for 3D printing parts.
Were I in the lifetime place I am now, in 86, an Alliance I would look at would be almost exactly what this one is, in color, trim and options. But there are half a dozen VW dealers in metro Detroit. vs zero Renault shops, and that is why the Alliance makes that Cabriolet look like a rational choice.
Never a dull moment hanging out with the three J’s . It was like spending time with 3 frat brothers,the wise cracks and humor rolling merrily along.
JPC was very insightful on how various models fit or failed in their market place at the time. I was excited about a 69 429 Mercury Marauder,a rare car indeed. Only because nobody bought them. As JPC pointed out the the full size hot rod car market had peaked some 7or 8 yrs prior.
Jason your bestowing time capsule status on my Monte Carlo is much to kind. Time capsule cars usually go to events in enclosed trailers. My motto is.
You’ll find a few chips and a couple of dings.
But I ain’t afraid to drive this thing !
Jim Klein, a real pleasure meeting you. Skipping work and jumping on a plane in sandals and a little bag. We agreed we were like school boys on a field trip.
Thanks fellas for a most memorable and fun weekend.
Likewise, a pleasure! I’m glad we could meet and discuss various things, not nearly all of them car related and somehow none of them remotely politics related. It’s nice that the actual in-person discussions/conversations are similar to the ones here in that regard even with people from completely different backgrounds and experiences.
The Monte is a time capsule as it just feels so wonderfully 1976 when looking at it. Plus a scratch or two is like a laugh line, proving it’s lived some life and not been in bubble wrap or that it is trying to hide its past.
Jason: I am currently DROOLING over this 1980 Cordoba LS. If only it had buckets/V-8/&console! Still, I,m debating!!! 🙂
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Chrysler-Cordoba-LS-300-/283182108509?oid=283167342968
Looks like y’all had a great time! I wish I could have been there with you, but I was facing some big work deadlines and had just gotten back from vacation myself. In Staunton, like Dan Cluley, my pick would have been the blue ‘71 LTD convertible. I also like the blue Benz at the top of the post…it’s identical to the one my grandfather drove after trading in his 1961 Chrysler New Yorker (two more disparate cars from the 1960s would be hard to imagine). As many times as I have visited St. Louis over the years, I have never made it to the Transportation Museum and this would have been the ideal occasion.
Wow, looks like y’all had a blast!
This place is still on my list.
Jason: I am currently DROOLING over this 1980 Cordoba LS. If only it had buckets/V-8/&console! Still, I,m debating!!! 🙂
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Chrysler-Cordoba-LS-300-/283182108509?oid=283167342968
I’m sorry to have missed it, especially all those delicious big Ford LTDs. Next time.