Topless Americana

TOPLESS AMERICANA

Robin from Omaha sent in these pics over a year ago. I don't remember exactly but I think he might have been visiting some friends along the southern shore of Long Island. Regardless, look at this all-American beauty!

This is a 1966 Chevy Corvette convertible in some aftermarket blue (the closest factory color I could find was Marina Blue but that's not as dark). These mid-'60s 'vettes are some the of the quintessential years of the brand.

Dig this long nose with the hideaway headlights. The engine would originally have been a 327 V8. There was a 427 available as well but the hood would have a prominent bulge just to fit it.

This is one athletic, sexy ride. As with all Corvettes the body is fiberglass, engine up front, and drive wheels in the rear. The big wheel wells and rounded fenders make this thing look like it's going to pounce at any second. Those rims are from a late '70s 'vette.

Behold one of the worst gas cap placements for paint jobs ever - right in the middle of the trunk! This flip-up fuel door looks super cool, but dripping on the body is pretty much guaranteed.
That body-width line above the gas cap is the hinge side of a lid covering the space where the convertible top lives when you lower it. To access that hidden well you simply lift up on the rear edge of the top which will disengage and swing forward. Then there is a button under the front of the lid behind the seats to unlock the lid. It opens to the rear, allowing for the entire top to fold back into the space behind the seats. When you close it again the look is sleek as the top is completely hidden.

1965 and 1966 Corvettes were almost identical from the outside but there is one telltale clue: the Corvette script on the front driver's side of the hood means it is a '66. The '67 looked similar but those 3 big gills on the side would be 5 smaller ones. If this were a 1964 'vette there would be two indentations on the hood on either side of that middle spear. 

This is a perfect example of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". The 1965 Corvette sold like crazy. Then this 1966 comes along with basically zero changes and it continues to sell like nobody's business. The combination of lightweight, sexy body and enormous motor proved irresistible to the public. The next generation would come along in 1968 looking like a mako shark. It would continue all the way up into the '80s, proving that Chevy had a real winner on their hands for decades. 

Fratzogs by Night

Fratzogs by Night

I've had a list of drafts from well over a year ago sitting in the queue waiting for me to dust off this blog. Some of the photos are 2 years old or more and generations of phones ago. The pics below I believe were sent to me from Robin of Omaha. Behold the nighttime Hooptie!

This is a 1965 Dodge Coronet 440 in Medium Turquoise Poly. It's easy to pinpoint the '65 because both the year before and the year after this one had a center divider splitting the grill.
There are a couple details I love on the front of this ride. First are the Fratzogs (a made-up word for the triangular symbol used by Mopar through the '60s) mounted above the outer headlights. The second detail is that only the section between the inboard headlights is actually a functioning grill. All the small slat openings around the headlights are black paint!

Most Coronet 440s were equipped with V8 engines. The base was a 2 barrel 318, but you had the option of a 361, 383, or the mighty 426 Hemi for the first time. Customers who chose the Hemi had the option of dual 4 barrel carbs and a floor mounted 4 speed manual! Chances are that this ride has the pushbutton automatic mounted on the dash next to the radio.

This handsome piece of side trim was only on the mid level 440 series. The base model had a chrome line that ran lower along the body from the rear of the front wheel opening to the back of the car. The top of the heap 500 had a thin chrome spear along the full length of the car with 3 colored rectangles at the front. These are the correct, original hubcaps for the car by the way.

It's tough to see in the above dark lighting but this is equipped with reverse lights. They weren't standard on the base Coronet but they were included on the 440.

We'll leave this beast with an admiring view of the gargantuan trunk.
4 door sedans are the least sexy, least valuable classics to get, but they tend to live gentler lives. This is the quintessential family car, possibly surviving because some nice old lady garaged it for decades. Mopars from the 1960s are famously reliable and easy to work on. If you run across one of these in good condition for cheap you might have the perfect classic daily driver on your hands.

Florida? Kanye? Who knows but look at this big Jag!

NATTY BRIT

'Neen from the Empire region was at it again, snapping these pics on her postal route. If you love cars and have friends/family who are letter carriers you're in luck. Behold!

This is a 1966-1968 Jaguar 420 in Laguna Beige. Below the inner right headlight is a faux horn grill added to break up the expanse of painted metal. Every 420 I've seen has one on each side so this is either an anomaly or one was missing and they elected to fill in the mounting holes when repainting the car at some point.

The proud, leaping Jaguar hood ornament mimics the overall shape of this ride nicely. Daimler made an identical car to this one and besides the hood ornament the only way to tell them apart is that the Daimler has a scalloped top of the grill.

Every inch of this car is rounded in stark contrast to the angular American cars of this era. I love the mirrors all the way up on the fenders.

In the sales literature they still bragged about the 420 being "assembled by craftsmen", and indeed they probably were. Total production over its 3 year run was a mere 10,236. To put that in perspective there were more than a million Chevy Impalas sold in 1965 alone!

Look at this big rounded baby. This ride is almost identical to the 420G, but the G has a full length chrome spear running down the side. Under that long hood resides the 4.2 liter inline 6 cylinder XK engine. It was plenty to move this large saloon around in traffic.

This looks to have the optional automatic transmission installed. Manual trans 4 doors were getting pretty scarce in the States so many imports were outfitted with an auto.

That diminutive chrome line running between the door handles finishes in one tiny pointed piece beyond the rear door. This makes me so happy because it is the first thing a company putting cost above style will cut. I'm also a big fan of the subtle indentation between the door handles and the window glass as it wraps around the corner.

Even the rear window shape is rounded and irregular. Looks like there was a parking knock to the right side bumper guard. That's what it's there for!

They're easy to miss but the reverse lights are incorporated into the trunk lock/license plate light assembly. Check out how awesome the font is in the word JAGUAR between the reverse lights.

The rear of this ride is identical to the earlier Jaguar S-Type which was sold from 1963 through 1968. The major difference is that the S-Type had a nose as rounded as the rear where the 420 has that pronounced, forward leaning face.

We've got a house for sale with a big classic car resting on half-inflated tires (pardon me, tyres). Not to read into it too much but this is the time to strike if you've always wanted one! Often a well-timed knock on the right door will free up a car for much less than if they take the trouble to list it. Take it from someone who bought a near-perfect '74 Cadillac for $285.

Ever heard of Knock-Off Wheels? Well these are they, named as such because you take a mallet and literally knock that center spinner to unscrew it. Real-deal spinners are quintessentially British like everything on this fine ride.

The rear quarter windows pop out for ventilation. Look how lovely the mechanical opener and hinge are!

That is real-deal soft leather, probably so comfortable that it would be dangerous to drive at night. British cars of this era had the finest hides hand stitched and they age beautifully.
By the way that is real walnut along the window. The same wood is used on the dashboard and will polish up nicely.

Well there we have it; a nicely presented natty Brit ready to burn up some petrol on the motorway. In the grand scheme of things these rides are undervalued, especially in the States. They aren't complicated mechanically (though you'll have to keep the dual carbs in tune) and offer a very comfortable drive. As with other British cars of yore the electrical system is the weak spot, to the point where I highly recommend keeping a fire extinguisher on hand when driving one. Still you've be hard pressed to find a classier ride for the money. Ebay currently has 3 listed; one for a grand, one for just over 10, and a flashy yellow one looking brand new for just under 20. Considering that VW buses are trading in the 6 figures these days with no heat or comfort this would be a cool ride.

Mad Men, Tin Men, and Made Men all agree

MAD MEN, TIN MEN, AND MADE MEN ALL AGREE

I was riding my bike along the warehouses of lower Sunset Park when this mighty vision appeared:

Yes! This is a 1962 Cadillac Series 62 convertible in the appropriately named Olympic White.
I've said it before and I'll say it again; the streets of Brooklyn are littered with old Cadillacs but this one manages to tower over the rest even in shabby condition.

Cadillac was the undisputed king of class in 1962. There were more expensive cars out there (not many) and several that were more exclusive but none more damn American than this. One look at how stylized the logo here had become will show you how streamlined the entire look was.

It is a coincidence that this is a Series 62 from '62 as the Series 62 name was used from 1940-1964. It represented the entry point for Cadillac but let's put that in perspective. First of all this is absolutely a luxury car, and a convertible to boot. The lowest Caddy is like the most humble Rolls Royce.
*The one surefire way to pinpoint the vintage on this ride is the shape of the turn signals. The otherwise identical 1961 Caddy had perfectly round signals as opposed to these rectangles.

This sleek front end treatment was only produced from '61-'62. The massive yachts of the '50s had brooding eyebrows hanging over the headlights, a look that would return from '63 on. For these 2 years there is a fresh faced eagerness to these big rides that suits it beautifully.

One great design element left over from the previous decade is the fact that the front bumper makes up the leading edge of the wheel well. These bumpers are absolutely mammoth.

My favorite features of the '61-'62 Caddys are the lower fins that start just behind the front wheel and emerge as sharp points in the rear. This car has 4 freaking fins! At the same moment when they were leaving the automotive scene Cadillac decided to double down.

Few cars are such natural convertibles as these big Caddys.

Dig the faux grill treatment on the rear - another design holdover from the 1950s. The Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters was based on a Caddy from just 2 years before this example. These fins, while prominent, are massively downsized from the 1959 peak.

Even grubby and schlubby the lines on this ride are unbeatable. A little bit of black electrical tape is securing the end of the fin. Those fin lenses do light up with the larger taillights by the way.

A free breathing 390 V8 lurked under the massive hood which had plenty of grunt to toss this beast around as if it were a much smaller car. Cadillac was proud of the performance and handling, something you might not expect from a 4,600 lb car. Since they were the flagship of the entire General Motors company they spared no expense in perfecting these rides as best they could. Starting price for this ride before options was a whopping $5,588!

Anyone who watched Mad Men knows the deal with this ride and they weren't exaggerating the lifestyle. This Caddy came from the factory with 4 individual cigarette lighters and ashtrays! If they offered an ice machine and martini bar option they would've sold a million of them. The somewhat forgotten Danny DeVito/Richard Dreyfuss movie Tin Men featured Caddys like this as part of the backdrop. It goes without saying that this was THE car of choice for the Mafia (not that there is a Mafia of course because the Mafia doesn't exist).

If those pointy spoke wheels didn't already give it away we can see from the interior that this ride has led a couple lives. This is flashy period correct early '80s lowrider style upholstery. Seeing the fender skirts in the backseat means that this ride is only missing a front signal lens.

Chrysler tried with the Imperial and the Ford Motor Company tried with their Lincoln Continental (losing money on every one they sold) but nobody made a convincing attempt to topple Cadillac from the top of the automotive heap. In this era the Old World stalwarts Rolls Royce and Bentley produced bloated, out of date cars by hand. As a result the production would remain minuscule and prices astronomical. Cadillac produced 16,800 Series 62 convertibles in '62 alone while Rolls and Bentley combined for less than 6,000 cars.

Out of the many vintages of desirable Cadillacs the '62 is a wonderful choice for the collector or classic car fan who wants a drivable ride. The mechanicals are widely available and easy to work on. You'll never save on gas money with one of these but you can sit in it while parked and still outclass everything on the street.

This is the tuned car.

This is the tuned car.

My friends have been outpacing me drastically with the automotive finds and today is no different! Robin of Omaha recently stumbled upon a brace of beautiful Buicks:

This is a 1966 Buick Riviera in what seems to be an aftermarket two-tone graphite over black with a fearsome red stripe dividing the colors. The reason we know this is a '66 as opposed to the almost-identical '67 is the fact that those angled square lenses on the sides do not have a horizontal bar going down the middle of them. Even though they're large those are just the turn signals on the sides. This ride has 4 headlights hidden concealed in the grill. When they're open they look a bit crowded in there to me.

This ride is largely the same as the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado of the same year. However unlike the others the Riviera is a traditional rear wheel drive car. This is the final year for the venerable Buick Nailhead motor, this one a 425 V8.

Obviously the lines on this ride are fantastic and dramatic! The rear roofline swooping down to frame the trunk makes this beast seem like it's moving while standing still.
*Notice the lack of little vent windows! This is the first year since the '30s that a Buick didn't have them.

This is an evil ride with the black bumpers (something I usually frown upon). The vents beneath the back window are where the air exits the cabin as a part of the fresh air system.

Right next to the '66 is this 1967 Riviera with its tell tale horizontal turn signal bars. This is a mild custom like its brethren so the chrome hood trim has been shaved. 

I couldn't find any proof of two-tone Rivieras from the factory but this is a pretty common restoration choice. The mirrors on this ride are later replacements (the other ride has the correct driver-only chrome unit). 

I dig this roofline without the vinyl roof too. The wheels on both rides work really well. Both of these have the optional bucket seat interior essentially making them 4 seaters.

Somebody added a little pin striping to this ride.

1967 saw a new engine for Buick; the 430 V8 good for 360 horsepower and a whopping 475lbs of torque! Even at a weight of over 2 tons it was enough to move this beast around with alacrity. 

Buick (and indeed all of GM) was riding high through the '60s and they were understandably proud of the Riviera. It was touted as the "Tuned car" in their literature. In fact the entire opening paragraph is so assured that I'm going to close it out with this quote:
"We regret to destroy (again) the old theory that great road machines always come from Europe. But this one comes from exotic, far away Flint, Michigan - home of Buick, home of the Tuned car."

Strobogrammatic Savoy courtesy of Providence Pete!

STROBOGRAMMATIC SAVOY

Providence Pete has had incredible luck recently finding old rides. He recently sent me a couple teaser snaps of the car below and I begged him to head back for more. Behold this quirky spaceship from the most recent Strobogrammatic year!

This is a 1961 Plymouth Savoy with remnants of its original Mint Green visible amidst the rust/primer/patina ruckus. This car is awesome and you should show respect. Doff your caps!

Come on already! Few rides are as outlandish as the '61 Plymouths in the front.The grill, when taken on its own, is the shape of an anvil. Not only that but it curves rearward as it goes down. It has legit eyebrows and an eager (if kinda off putting) expression. The center of the bumper has that ribbed section drawing the air into its mighty maw. The movie car from Christine was a '58 Plymouth but this is easily sinister enough to have filled that role.

This golden emblem in the grill is a combination of hyper stylized images. The original logo for Plymouth was of the Mayflower (Plymouth Rock, get it?). By the late '50s it had become so abstract that you couldn't really tell what it was. Then the Valiant debuted in 1960 with a streamlined rocket emblem in the upright launch position. This looks to be a combination of the two, and a proper precursor to the Fratzog (a made up word for the 3 pointed emblem that would arrive later).

Look at this overhanging aggressive stance! The frowning eyebrows hang over the headlights, which in turn are leaning over the bumper.

The original parking brake; a log.

The rusty drippings on this beast make for crazy patina. Moments of Mint Green can be seen just above the wheel center and on the rocker panel.

The Savoy wasn't putting on airs. The dealership sales brochure from the era calls it "The economy line for 1961". Above the Savoy was the Belvedere, and above that the mighty Fury. That line running back from the eyebrow over the wheel well originally had a bit of chrome on it (only in the very front). The Belvedere had the same short chrome trim on the front fender but the rear chrome extended to mid-door. The Fury had an unbroken chrome line from front to back.

The rust pattern on the hood is so odd I figure it must have had a pile of leaves on the drivers side or something. I've also seen cars that spent years under a tarp for their protection completely rotted as any moisture couldn't escape.

 Give it up for Siddartha Guatama chilling on the front seat! A full width bench was the Savoy standard. The brochure bragged that the dealer could adjust the seat height and angle to perfectly suit the new owner.

The dashboard is stupendous! First of all the steering wheel has clear acrylic top and bottom, with that space age rectangular horn ring. The push buttons to the left of the wheel are the transmission controls (I'm 99% sure it's sitting in Drive). The buttons to the right are optional heating controls (below the furthest button is a lever for opening the vent). The white square below the speedometer is where the close would be had it been ordered. One amazing (not included) option that was available for this car was an under dash record player!

Even the smallest details are well thought out in this era.

This chrome spear would've continued further towards the front had it been a higher trim level.

From this angle you can see the huge reverse light on the back panel. This was an option in '61 with the sales literature going so far as to point out that it was a safety item.

This is the taillight housing for 1961. They just hung on to the side of the car like rocket boosters. It certainly looks cool when they're working properly but are very susceptible to damage.

A little more Mint Green remains on this side. The short roof 2 door with post is a Savoy exclusive. Both the Fury and Belvedere had a long, sloping roofline in a hardtop style.

Original poverty caps on Mint Green steelies complete the thrifty look. That tire with its dry rot and years of dirt in the flat crease says this hasn't moved in years.

Well there we have it; a super sonic space age slab holding down a driveway in Providence. Nothing beats the oddity of '60s Mopar design in my book. Every Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth in this era had weird touches like square steering wheels, these overhanging eyebrows, pushbutton transmissions, and unique but equally crazy dashboards. These are unibody cars so tackling a really rusty restoration would be daunting. However the drivetrain technology is tried and true with everything easy to work on. Even the quirky pushbutton trans worked very well; it was only discontinued later in the '60s to save something like $1 per car. Some day I would love to own one of these. Pete - if you see a sign on this wreck one day hit me up!