Is it just me or does pretty much any older car look good to you now?

[bull]

I'm not sure what to call this phenomenon but here lately, as of the past 2-3 years or so, I fantasize about owning nearly every decent car for sale out there that was built between about 1960 and 1980. Doesn't seem to matter if it's a Mercury station wagon, a Datsun B210, a '68 Mustang or a 1978 Cordoba. What is going on? Am I so desperate to relive the old days that I would take ANY car that reminds me of them? Or is it that those cars are more of a draw now because they are unique among the current offerings where they were once so commonplace? It's weird, I can't explain it yet, but don't be surprised if I display pics of my new '72 AMC Matador wagon someday.

[68coronetGLwannabe]

I agree! Just wanna relive the glory days when cars had style. Dang,sure wish I could still grow a mullet!

[dpm68]

Yes, something about them having individuality and soul back in the day...

[SFRT]

Same here. Its because all the new cars are BORING..bland...and just lame looking. A friend of mine is a salesman over at the Jaguar dealer on Van Ness and once in a while they will get some new 'supercar' in and I'll go 'test drive it'...even their most 'badass cars' feel sterile. closed in, silent, cant feel the road...no personality.

may very favorite things to drive are old cars and pickups with a great big bench seat, tall flat windows...more of a feeling of actually being on the road, not enclosed in a bubble.

[Brock Samson]

   Why do you think I'm snapping away with my camara every "decent" car I come across?..










I mean besides being unstable both mentally and emotionally and smoking peyote

[suntech]

I have been like that since i was a kid. Since i live in Europe (Norway) i grew up with different cars than most of you guys here, but when my buddies had VW Golf GTI´s or somethng in that style, i had a  71 Opel Commodore HT.
My first urge for a Charger was when i was 18. Now i am 45, and has one

[bull]

Same here. Its because all the new cars are BORING..bland...and just lame looking.

That's very true, but think about those cars I mentioned above. In their day they were boring, bland and just lame-looking too. But now they aren't.

[bull]

   Why do you think I'm snapping away with my camara every "decent" car I come across?..










I mean besides being unstable both mentally and emotionally and smoking peyote

Yea, now I see... It's Strat's fault as usual.

[68coronetGLwannabe]

It seems like back then you put on some dual exhaust,air shocks,cragers or keystones some big tires with white letters and they all looked good! seems every thing nowdays is small low to the ground and has strange sounding exhaust not to mention way oversized wheels. Whoa I think I am getting old

[gers1968rt]

Yes, I'm feeling the same, so many cars look so generic and alike. Seems like sometimes my kids know what make a car is before I do. Sometimes I have to ask them what it is. I'm getting old too?

[Red Ram]

Seems like the only styling features that designers focus on are the headlights and tail lights. If fins where the great excess of the 50's, tail lights are the great excess of today...some of them are really ridiculous!

[The70RT]

Just like the ole wagons. Everyone junked them back then, now the ones that are left are cool now and sought after.

Seems like the only styling features that designers focus on are the headlights and tail lights. If fins where the great excess of the 50's, tail lights are the great excess of today...some of them are really ridiculous!

Also seems like all the newer stuff has the rear and front lights protruding so you will knock them out and by new ones.

[Silver R/T]

some of my favorites
1961 galaxie
1959-1964 Impalas
T-birds
60's Cadillacs, etc

[RD]

i have definitely been eyeing some fords to be honest.. still havent felt the deep and dire urge to follow through with a chevy.. just dont know if i could do it.  i appreciate some of their looks/lines/etc.. but not enought to own one (a chevy that is).  Now if a nice lil mustang came by me at a decent price, and i had the floating $$$ then by all means i would get it.

[mopar7890]

I agree, the same here. I guess it may also be a bit to re-live the good days we all had back then.

[Back N Black]

I think its because we are car crazy and we appreciate the 60's and 70's iron despite the nameplate. I have a couple of friends that have lots of money and they have no intrest in muscle cars. I always tell them that if i had that kind of  money, i would have a garage full of cars. I took them to a car show and they lost intrest in 5 minutes, oh well. But their beer still taste the same. 

[ac_knight]

I have to agree.  My dad has a 1953 Dodge Pickup, Job Rated, and it is need of some resto work.  I find myself wanting to tackle his project and havent even neared completion of my own.  So I do think that some of the old cars just appeal to us.  It was a simpler time, with simpler machines that we happened to fall in love with.

[TruckDriver]

Same for me too. But then again, I always have liked a little of everything. I grew up with GM products, friends had all Fords & Mopars.

[Mike DC]

I look at a new car and I see something that has everything about it compromised for the sake of cheapening the price, and yet still manages to cost as much as a hand-restored old car, and the new car STILL manages to be unreliable because they've cut so many corners. 

[mikesbbody]

Id like to have a old car as a everyday driver but sadly its just not practicle  I think the big 3 all made good cars but for me its mopars or no car 

[Old Moparz]

My money says that in about 30 years bull will be searching Hemmings for an '06 Charger because he loves the styling.   

[Brock Samson]

 I bought the '71 RR thinking it would make a sweet Daily Driver, but that just ain't the case. It's too brutal and basic and primitive, No Cruise, - no A/C - No Sweet 1000 watt 9 speaker Aftermarket stereo with CD, Radio & Tape Player, -
plus three extra power outlets for the cell phone charger, and heated coffee Mug, No power windows, door locks, sun roof,-ABS- traction control, folding rear seats that pass through to the trunk, No extra two doors in the back so I dont have to kiss a huge skinny plastic steering wheel when guests jump in the back like the old iron... the '99 has leather everything, four cupholders, armrests front and rear, fully tinted windows, fully adjustable power heated seats. The list of ammenities just goes on and on... then there's the 17-27 MPG, the runner only gets 12 - 14 on the best of days... But yeah, The road runner is a nice hammer and the looks I get from the earth firsters, what's that called?.. the "Stink Eye"?.. 
Alot of these old cars I see, I love to look at them and remember what they stood for in automotive culture when new and I'm really so glad the owners are keeping them out there, but I know they can't hold a candle to today's advancements in automotive efficency, safety and comfort.
I still love to see em though..  &
I still love to safari hunting and shooting the old beasts, it's alot easyier in the modern whooptie though...
I got over 200 new pics of old cars, trucks and bikes I've just loaded into a folder I'll post up soon..

[rt green]

without all the crap on them, thats why i like the old ones. you can always put the stereo in

[Brock Samson]

the only option on the runner is power steering and the ralley wheels and the the reflective stripes, like I said, it's a great hammer. 

[Old Moparz]

Brock, I totally agree with what you posted, that's why I laugh when I read about the youngster who can't wait to get his classic car for a daily driver.  

The lack of creature comforts makes it more of a chore to drive. When I take the Satellite out once in a while, it's fun to be behind the wheel with the top down, but it doesn't take long to remember how I couldn't wait to get a newer car (or truck) to commute in.

[Brock Samson]

  Yeah thanks bob, good to know someone agrees with me.. even if it's just you, 

Hey about those headlights,.. priced a headlight recently?.. what's an 'ol fashioned round sealed beam going for these days?..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__SEALED-BEAM-ford-MUSTANG-65-73-headlight-lamp-round-70_W0QQitemZ370090665618QQadiZ2865QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItem?hash=item370090665618&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A543%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318


and the price of the protruding ones off a new camery?..   

  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__2007-2008-TOYOTA-CAMRY-LEFT-HEADLIGHT_W0QQitemZ250312297397QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ2865QQddiZ2811QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250312297397&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A543%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[The70RT]

Like I was stating  The one for the Mustang fits a thousand others too.....and the Camry....just the Camry

[bull]

My money says that in about 30 years bull will be searching Hemmings for an '06 Charger because he loves the styling.   

In 30 years I'll be crapping my Depends and trying to eat the salt shaker.

[Brock Samson]

 

[SFRT]

also..I have new vehicles and they lack...'romance' or perhaps 'possibility'.

a new vehicle is just like a sealed box, you cant really  enlarge on it or really 'connect' somehow. an older car, every old car I see, I start to imagine fixing it up, customizing it, hot rodding it..because, well you actually can. Like, theres no limits on 'old cars'.

[Mike DC]

This whole issue makes me want a '69 Camaro or a '70 Chevelle or '68 Mustang sometimes, just for a cruiser if nothing else. 

They're still so common, so heavily reproduction supported . . . I'd be doing snow-donuts with it during the winter instead of worrying about a rainstorm in the middle of the summer with a Mopar.





Keep the repro Charger parts coming, that's all I've got to say. 

[BROCK]

Heart n soul, style, character & servicabilty are all very good reasons for loving older cars. 
Capturing my youth?  Nah, never entered my mind.  There are very few cars newer than
1974 that have caught my attention.  Once the gobmint & insurance cocks got a hold of
the industry, cars became just a way to get to & from work.  Don't get me wrong, we've
come a long way in performance, economy & ecologically - but much of our freedoms to
do what we want with newer cars is no longer legal.  So for me, older cars represent
freedom.

[Mike DC]

That's the truth.



Modern cars are just very big expensive household appliances.  And like all appliances, they're on an ever-shrinking corkscrew of crappier build quality combined with less practicality to repair anything on it. 

If you're wealthy enough to replace everything you own every 3 years, your life is easy as pie.  If you're anything below that, you're screwed.   

[bull]

Look at this baby!

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/898898244.html

[6pkrunner]

I bought the '71 RR thinking it would make a sweet Daily Driver, but that just ain't the case. It's too brutal and basic and primitive, No Cruise, - no A/C - No Sweet 1000 watt 9 speaker Aftermarket stereo with CD, Radio & Tape Player, -
plus three extra power outlets for the cell phone charger, and heated coffee Mug, No power windows, door locks, sun roof,-ABS- traction control, folding rear seats that pass through to the trunk, No extra two doors in the back so I dont have to kiss a huge skinny plastic steering wheel when guests jump in the back like the old iron... the '99 has leather everything, four cupholders, armrests front and rear, fully tinted windows, fully adjustable power heated seats. The list of ammenities just goes on and on... then there's the 17-27 MPG, the runner only gets 12 - 14 on the best of days... But yeah, The road runner is a nice hammer and the looks I get from the earth firsters, what's that called?.. the "Stink Eye"?.. 
Alot of these old cars I see, I love to look at them and remember what they stood for in automotive culture when new and I'm really so glad the owners are keeping them out there, but I know they can't hold a candle to today's advancements in automotive efficency, safety and comfort.
I still love to see em though..  &
I still love to safari hunting and shooting the old beasts, it's alot easyier in the modern whooptie though...
I got over 200 new pics of old cars, trucks and bikes I've just loaded into a folder I'll post up soon..

Getting old has a lot to do with this also. But I do agree 100% with you. The old girls are nice for a blast around for a day or so, but who'd want to use them as true daily drivers? Parallel parking with Armstrong steering? 70 series bias plys? In the same vein who'd want to go back to 3 or so channels on their 26 inch black and white TV? We remember with fondness the good times, but in some cases don't really want to go back for long periods of time - just a 4 gear rubber lay and a quick snap to 120mph. Reach for the cruise....and the bubble bursts.
But the old girls have class and character that the do-all generic cookie cutter conveyance devices of today lack. Park a 1968 hemi road runner next to a Viper - both idling. Who is the bigger draw? The Viper will outperform the RR in all measures in spades - but who is the crowd favorite? Simpler times indeed.

[bull]

You guys are friggin' pansies! Well, maybe not, but after riding a bicycle to and from work 4 days a week for the past 4 months I'm thinking that just a cushy seat that's wider than my butt, a heater and roof over my head is a far sight better than nothing.

[6pkrunner]

The riding to work 4 days a week bit. Is this self-inflicted via the get in shape business or does the green hand of conservation reach out?

[jeryst]

I can think of a whole bunch of reasons, many of them already stated...

1. Brute, ground shaking horsepower, rumblilng exhaust, loping idle. Not anemic, muffled, or fartcan.
2. Easy for you to work on with basic tools. Open the hood and see a motor, not metal spaghetti that requires a PhD and thousand of dollars of specialized equipment.
3. New cars all lack character. Every car from any specific maker has style branding. Today, every Dodge has a cross grill. Wasnt like that back then.
4. They are unique and scarce in todays world. Predators. Like a pack of wolves among millions of sheep.
5. Old cars came with bragging rights. New cars come with creature comforts.
6. Most new cars cant even chirp the tires let alone leave black streaks a hundred feet long.

As guys, we bonded with the looks of those cars, in our formative years, so like Salmon returning home to spawn, we feel drawn to them. Many good times were had in and around those cars, and it makes us feel good when we remember those times. Like hearing an old song that means something special or reminds us of a particular event. At least, that's how I feel. Disclaimer: Not neccessarily a typical response. Your own experience may vary. 

[Brock Samson]

 in anycase i really enjoy spotting an old car, particularly maintained stock daily drivers which I call California black plate specials because they still have their original plates... ok, so what is an older car?.. my '99,.. Twenty years back?.. Thirty?..
but a '64 chevelle four door with a six probably wont do it for me.. go figure...


The point in my previous rant was that I like four doors the front wheel drive and the 6 in my M. I can live with it on a daily basis - like a great wife, but on the weekends, those special days when I need to git my freak on it's nice to have a misstress...

   
or two.. 
   

[Charger_Fan]

Well, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one feeling urges to play with different older cars. There for a while (along with the eye-rolling from my Wife & kids), I thought I was just going crazy. Maybe it's a sickness, but I don't care, I'm having fun. I guess it's a good thing that I don't have a larger yard, or I would be dragging home a LOT more fun old things to play with. 
BTW, I currently classify an "older car" as most anything late 70's & older...and some in the mid 80's, maybe. I like older trucks about equally as older cars, too.

The other day I saw some guy driving a clean, non restored '75-ish Camaro Berlinetta on the freeway & thought that car looks COOL! It wasn't anything special by any means & only had aftermarket wheels as the only deviation from bone stock, but it was just cool to see it out mingling with all the current belly button cars on the freeway.

[Mike DC]

 
This hobby thinks building a 9-sec-but-streetable Charger is a realistic & worthwhile goal, but building a Charger with modern NVH and reliability is totally impractical. 

[Sinister68]

This is only new car I wouldn't mind owning 

[bull]

The riding to work 4 days a week bit. Is this self-inflicted via the get in shape business or does the green hand of conservation reach out?

Option A. Plus I'm saving some dough.

[68charger383]

It's funny I just found this topic. I just sold my 68 Mercury Cougar which I used to drive to work on Fridays and could drive to the grocery store and leave outside without worrying.

I suddenly found myself with some cash and room for another car. I've been looking at a lot of different cars and makes. I've always wanted a 67/68 firebird and prices are coming down. However, I feel in this economy I should just bank the cash. I think I'm going to hang tight for a little while, but it's like a kid in a candy store.

On a side note, its not just the old cars that are looking good, but now that I'm in my 40s, I see some women in their 40s that are looking good.....I must be getting to old.