balthazar

‘69-70, and wearing a full set of factory ‘mag’ huncaps.

^That's my GP - such a gorgeous car. '63 with redline tires is awesome also.

I see that now. I guess I don't find those attributes to be unique at all. Design has become distressingly homogenized...

Woods Auto Wrecking, outside of Binghamton NY, dissolved in the late '60s ~ Today :

it's a '69-70. Someone built one of famous stylist Harry Bentley Bradley's designs. http://www.deansgarage.com/2014/harry-bradleys-mitchell-gp/

Curious; what specifically do you find "take's the cake, visually unique" about it?

Pan & bolts cleaned & painted. New filter, gasket going in:

I like buttons, too.

'63 Pontiac Tempest, 'Indy 4' inline 4-cylinder, factory iron head, naturally-aspirated, 4-spd. 1/4-mile : 11.74.

a-HA!! NAILED IT!!! ? I understand your experience, it hasn't been mine however. One I cleaned on occasion had deep folds at the base, made it tough (wife's previous '09 Malibu).

‘59 Ranchero, white over turquoise, exc stock shape, on side of gas station.

Here you go, Robert Hall : 16 original miles, pre dealer-prep Cobra ~ https://www.ebay.com/itm/194496528432?mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5337851298&customid=489489&toolid=10001&mkevt=1

[typical surreal driving conditions : ]

I was riffing off a FB Barn Finds piece on a clean Dodge Aspen coupe for $5500. To me, the cleanest/nicest one out there (of that) shouldn't be more than $1000, so I feel like someone is trying to say it's worth that much... because I don't know why- I assume because they think someone will want to pamper / maintain it. Like a collectible. - - - - - RE my car list (owned), I've had 23, only 2 were bought brand new. The average model year of all 23 is 1969, since it's so heavily laden with 60s cars (the '21 GMC bumped it up from -I think- 1966.) 1 from the 2020-on, 0 from 2010-19, 1 from 2000-09, 2 from 1990-99, 0 from 1980-89, [[that's only 4 from the last 40 years]], 3 from 1970-79. The other 16 were from the '40s-60s. Somewhere I have a running list of other vehicles I've driven, and it's similar, but there are more newer ones. LOTS of '60s stuff. Not sure where that list is at the moment... - - - - - My mind : "WTF?!?" -->

Here's a ferrari, with it's infamous gated shifter. Yeah- it's a manual- irrelevant. Yeah, it still doesn't look great (ferrari's aren't known for even marginally nice interiors), but it's better than the floppy, crumb-catcher vinyl boot (automatic OR manual). So do a gated automatic- they're all 'by-wire' now so the pattern isn't mechanics-dependent, and come up with something better.

Yes, of course. Why can't something like this (immediately around the shifter) be done instead of whatever 20-yr old moon-pod Chevy shifter ccap posted above; I'd take this in a heartbeat over a 'leather' boot' :

^ I've noted ads about low-mileage 20-30 yr old cars popping up, unremarkable other than being in great condition, but kinda being pitched as a collector car. 'Would you put this 35K mile Chevy Celebrity in your driveway for $5000?', but I say - buy it as a commuter vehicle, not a collectible, and use it up. It sure beats spending $15K for something 7 yrs old.

Top pic is a factory-issued promo photo ('64 GP). I added the yellow lines comparing rear axle centerline & the bottom of the rocker chrome. This is an accurate portrayal of factory ride height. Lower pic is how far too many 'restored' cars todays sit, on 'reproduction' springs ; a mile too high (here about 3 inches). I find it irksome (and aesthetically offensive) when folk defend this exaggerated ride height as 'correct' because the springs were 'factory spec'... when they obviously aren't. "You've got eyes; use 'em!' I say. Praise the lowered. Here is my GP from many years ago. It's a tad LOWER than factory height, due to spring settle; over time, coil spring deflection rate remains the same, but it's ability to hold its load at the same height diminishes somewhat. Me; I think it sits PERFECTLY (still has the same springs in it today).

Metal, wood, glass maybe, I dunno. You guys have seen other treatments, right? I have a car with a console-shift automatic, it has chrome & American Walnut around the shifter. :shrug:

OK, but there's other treatments than just 'hard plastic'.

My local GMC dealer has yet to make any of the EV dealer upgrades, so it'll be interesting to see if deliveries are held up from that regard. One of the upgrades is new hydraulic lifts capable to handling the Hummer's massive weight- can't work on some aspects of repairs without a lift.