Twofer Tuesday returns with a single step in evolution!

A SUPREME CUTLASS AND A CUTLASS SUPREME

This Twofer Tuesday I'm featuring a make and model that I've been around my whole life. When I was a kid we had Oldsmobiles as our family cars. Later on my very first car was a 1983 Cutlass. In my early 20s I had an Olds 442 which is basically a sporty Cutlass. Without further ado:

 Evil! This black beast is a 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass that obviously feeds on small children. Its Ebony Black paint job is nicely offset by the red accents added to the bars of the grill. The red was not there from the factory but is a very subtle and tasteful addition in my opinion. The grumpy underbite tells tales of parallel parking on the mean streets of NYC.

From this angle you can see one of the most iconic muscle car silhouettes in history. This overall body and frame were shared across the entire General Motors family. In addition to being the Cutlass (and sportier 442), this was the body for the Pontiac LeMans and GTO, the Chevy Chevelle, and the Buick Skylark and GSX.

I love these side marker lights that incorporate the Olds jet logo. This idea was carried across the other marques as well; the Pontiac had light-up Pontiac symbols as marker lights.

The design for this year is so clean and slippery with those inset taillights and reverse lights. The leading edge that runs from the bottom of the bumper up over the rear window is pretty neat.
*Here's a bit of history as an aside; see that mural of the revolutionary soldiers in the distance? That's the wall of the local American Legion hall/bar in Gowanus. Supposedly the bodies of between 200-256 Revolutionary War soldiers from Maryland are buried under the concrete lot in front of that wall. The First Maryland regiment remained in place during the Battle of Brooklyn, holding off the British Army long enough for Washington and his vastly outnumbered troops to retreat to "live to fight another day". If the Marylanders hadn't been in position the revolution could very well have been doomed on the spot. A small plaque commemorates them, but this article sums it all up nicely: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/nyregion/historian-points-to-gowanus-brooklyn-lot-as-grave-of-first-maryland-regiment.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

As with the grill this Cutlass emblem has been given the red treatment by someone.

Technically this ride could've been ordered with the Chevy 250 inline 6 cylinder mated to a 2 speed automatic transmission, but doubtful that it would exhale through dual exhaust. This ride most likely had the 350 V8 from the factory.

Those are the correct Super Stock II wheels for this year Cutlass and I think they look pretty darn good. They continued with this basic style of rim all the way up through the 1980s.

As noted already by the lack of extra trim on the outside this is a plain Cutlass and not a Cutlass Supreme. With this comes a big old bench seat as standard equipment, along with a column shifter, plain steering wheel, and crank windows. You could order bucket seats and a console for extra money but then you might as well get the Supreme.

We'll leave this bare knuckle boxer in peace with it's thousand yard stare and fat lip. I wouldn't want to tussle with such a leering brute!
On to a more posh example;

Parked in a fenced-in lot in the heart of Williamsburg was this sweet ride.

I poked my head through the open gate this far for a quick snap. Moments later the owner gave me permission to take a bunch of close-up shots!
We're going back a year for this beauty, which is a 1968 Cutlass Supreme in Scarlet.

This thing is a show-stopper, and possibly show winner!

Here is the easiest way to identify a '68. The turn signals were only located between the headlights like this for 2 years. The '67 that shared this configuration had a much different overall body style though; more straight lines than rounded. If you see a bulbous Cutlass with the central turn signals it's definitely a '68.
*Incidentally, the 442 had an even more race-ready option called the W-30. Amongst other things the W-30 featured air intakes above and below the turn signals that directed air into the carburetor. W-30s are SUPER rare and sought after. I've only seen them at car shows.

This long hood contains either the 350 or 400 V8. A mighty 455 was available but only for the 442.

The Cutlass Supreme was more well-appointed than the standard Cutlass in many details. The vinyl roof was an option, but the chrome trim running along the bottom of the body was included with the Supreme. I like how the body color runs up to the midpoint of the rear side window, under the vinyl.

Here are the Super Stock I wheels; predecessors to the rims on the '69. This shot also shows the worst of any damage I could locate on this ride; there are rust bubbles emerging from around the wheel well. Overall this car is in fantastic shape so the rust gives it a little honesty.

Most of the details are the same for this year as with the '69. The taillights are an exception, with these 1-year-only slits being separate from the reverse lights.

You can see from the 6x9s on the back deck that this car lived through the '80s. A couple of small rust bubbles can be found on the trunk lid. The gas cap is hidden behind the rear license plate on both years.

Vinyl tops look a little dowdy to me on most muscle cars but this one wears it well.

It was a warmer time of year when these were shot!

From the side the bumper looks identical to the '69.

The Cutlass Supreme emblem is the same shape as the Oldsmobile symbol, but without the jet. The red on the inside of the letters is original on this ride.

This car is loaded with options! The console with wooden shifter, sport steering wheel with the horn buttons on the spokes, power windows, and deluxe AM/FM radio are all extra cost items. That below dash touchscreen doesn't bother me because they left the dash alone.

We'll leave this sweet Cutty poised and ready for action. These rides are great classics to own as they were built in pretty large quantity. Even though the bodies changed over the years the mechanical components are the same as the entire GM line and parts are some of the easiest to locate. If this was your ride you could order an entire catalog dedicated to this model. Hopefully I'll see this beast rolling the streets once the warmer months return!

Spirit of 76 + bonus turd

HOT TOMATO

Sometimes a car is more than a car. Sometimes it's a truck, other times it's a punchline, or even a song. Found recently in Park Slope as celebrated in lyrics by Ween, I present to you the HOT TOMATO!

What we have here is a 1976 Chevrolet El Camino in Crimson Red. There was a Chevy passenger car color that looks very similar to this called Medium Orange but I'm 99% certain the paint choices for El Camino were listed amongst the colors for Chevy trucks.

This is a tricky year to identify because most El Caminos were built with 4 stacked square headlights in '76, with only the base model retaining the single round headlight on each side such as this one. We know it's not a '75 or '77 due to subtle yearly changes in the grill.

Here is this big beauty in all her glory. The idea of a vehicle that was part car part truck has been around in various forms since the '30s. However, the El Camino was first introduced in 1959 and '60 (those first years look absolutely amazing). After a few year hiatus it came back in '64 and continued on up through 1987, looking very much like the Chevelles, Malibus, and Monte Carlos of the same years.

This one looks ready to work with a protective bed liner installed.

1976 was the height of the Malaise era in domestic auto production, and the El Camino is no different. Its massive overweight proportions are somewhat exacerbated by the fact that it does have a large and useful pickup bed. The 2 door Chevy coupes of the day had about the same dimensions and managed to look as slow as they actually were. 

Things get pretty interesting on the inside of this beast though as it's sporting a floor mounted stick shift! It also seems to have air conditioning and an 8-track stereo. I'm pretty sure that gray velour seat is an aftermarket replacement, though the overall pattern looks correct. You've gotta love the Baroque faux-luxury details of this era such as a woodgrain strip in the steering wheel center. 

The Chevy station wagons of this year also had their taillights set into the bumper but it consisted of one rectangle per side. I believe this quad light rear bumper is unique to the mighty El Camino. 

Fitting this beast in a tight space would be pretty difficult due to the voluptuous shape.

El Camino means "The Path" in Spanish, sometimes referred to as "The Road". This was the era of Cordoba, Nova, and Monte Carlo so you know it was more about sounding foreign than the meaning.

The base engine for the '76 El Camino was the 250 inline 6-cylinder which must've been unbelievably underpowered! What could you expect to haul with that tiny motor in a car that already weighs 2 tons? Usually dual exhaust and stick shift would ensure that a V8 lives under the hood, but in this instance the 6 is possible as it was available with a 3 speed manual. Chances are that this ride was built with either the terribly wimpy 305 V8 (155 horsepower!), or the somewhat better 350. Either way this is not a performance vehicle by any stretch.

The angled tailgate allows for the El Camino to use the same quarter panels as the station wagon for this year.

I included this pic because it was the first I took and I couldn't fit it into the frame even with my back pressed up against the gate behind me. Good for this owner finding a parking spot!

From this close-up shot you can see that the round headlight is set into a square cradle that looks too small for its setting. This is because the standard stacked square quad headlights of the higher trim models fits into the same opening. This also explains why the lights emerge from the raised housing that is higher than the grill.

Most of my life I considered the El Camino the most ridiculous and pointless thing ever produced. These days I enjoy their rarity and absurdity as nothing on the road looks like them. The fact that someone drives one year-round in 2015 Brooklyn makes me happier than it should, so hats off!

Now on to some white noise: 

Here's your Friday bonus folks; thanks for playing. I saw this thing and figured "why not?". However, once I took the 3 pics you see here I was run off by some people who came out of The Essence of Life. They were a bit older and really furious that I would have the gaul to take pictures of a 30 year old minivan. You'd think I was hanging out in the vestibule filming people typing their ATM numbers by their reaction!

I mean, I understand you don't want anybody looking to make off with these sweet rims. I started with my standard "Hi, I love old cars and have a blog where I write about them with pictures" but the guy was just shaking his head saying "NO. NO. NO." with his arms crossed and the lady was saying "It belongs to an 80 year old friend who doesn't appreciate people just taking pictures" etc. I apologized and backed away because really I was snapping it as an afterthought since it was parked across the street from the El Camino.

With that I will share this emblem trumpeting the mighty EFI V6 that powers this beauty. My advice to people seeking the Essence of Life is to be careful! Permission will not be granted. And with that, enjoy your weekend! 

Twofer Tuesday returns with a couple of the most faithful steeds ever produced!

DART VS DART
First things first; I love these cars. What I mean is that I really, truly love these cars and feel that they might be the most perfectly executed automobiles ever produced. As I was saying . . .
what we have here is a 1975 Dodge Dart in the very attractive color Astral Blue Poly. We can tell it's a '75 due to the very prominent contours of the grill. The year before had a similar overall shape but the turn signals weren't set so deeply between the headlight and the middle prow.

Unless you're under 30 someone you know had one of these rides, or you did, or everyone you know did. Dart and its Plymouth sibling Valiant were built from 1963 ('60 for Valiant) through the '75 model year. After that they became the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare respectively. While just about any engine produced by the Chrysler corporation was available in the Dart at some point through its long lifespan the most famous power plant of all was the Slant 6. Their durability was unparalleled.

Another identifying feature is on display here in the wraparound taillights divided into 4 rectangles. This was only the arrangement for '74 and '75. I love the concave rear window on the 2 door hardtops.

This ride is in pretty good shape considering its age. The bodies are prone to rot, especially the lower quarter panels where water tends to collect once the rubber seal of the trunk wears out. As you can see this is the height of the humongous federally-mandated safety bumper era, but on these models I think it looks fine. The cars themselves are extremely blocky and seem to be trying to fill every inch of space they can while remaining midsize, so I think they fit the theme.

A little rust behind each wheel and some scrapes and rumples on the body only confirm this as an honest daily driver in the city. That rear suspension has been replaced for sure as it's sporting a minor hot-rodders rake.

One last close-up of the turn signal deeply set into the grill. That headlight looks mighty off!
On to a sportier looking cousin:

Alright! What we have here is a 1973 Dart in a slightly faded version of Bright Red. This thing looks ready to challenge folks at the track, or at least at a red light. The front bumper looks to be an aluminum replacement. Whether that's to save weight or just serve as a non-chromed more affordable fix I don't know. The owner is certainly sending a message with the stickers on the windshield.

The Headlight Sentinel is still on the hood. A fiber optic cable ran from the turn signal to this little lens which would tell you whether your bulb was out or notify you if you left it on.

We've got a tough guy steering wheel in effect! I'm not really into replacement wheels like this but the fact remains that there were so many Darts built that it's hard for me to bemoan any customization. The column shift automatic takes a little wind out of the racing sails.

The window trim has been blacked out for extra machismo. However, why would you black out the gas cap? To let people know you've got the most siphon-able ride on the block? Still, the smaller pre-mandate rear bumpers do allow for a continuation of the slanted body line which looks cool.

Ohio plates on a classic in Brooklyn usually mean the car is unregistered and just hiding in plain sight. However, the front and back match so maybe it's legit?

Just a couple of shots showing the taillight setup on the '73. The '71 and '72 had these taillights but the grills were very different. Incidentally the Plymouth Valiant, which was an almost identical twin to the Dart, had one rectangular taillight on each side as opposed to 4 individual units.

What can I say? I like taillight design, especially when distinct like these soft shapes set into the angled bumper. That vertical slot below the taillights is the jack point where your owners manual would instruct you to fit the jack for changing a rear tire.

This red beast is so much cooler than everything else parked on this Cobble Hill street.

I'm not sure how I feel about the rims on this Dart but I guess any rough and ready mid-'70s beast still rolling the streets has the right to wear whatever shoes it wants. This is a basic trim levels ride but they did offer an almost cartoonishly Special Edition that sported body-colored fancy hubcaps, padded vinyl roof, thick bodyside molding running down the length of the car, and a stand-up hood ornament. The most insane feature of the S.E. was the thick shag carpeting included within! I looked at one for sale a couple of years ago that had its original gold shag and few things could be filthier.

The front end of this year looks just like the 1974 Dodge Dart Sport I had in California back in 2006/7. The Sport had the same fastback body style as the Plymouth Duster. Mine was a very '74-looking Harvest Gold with a white vinyl roof. Writing these two Mopars up makes me want another one. Somehow I think I'll end up with one at some point and when that time comes I'll be proud to post it.