Truman era licorice behemoth for post 399!

TRUMAN ERA BLACK BEAUTY FOR POST 399

Tomorrow will be my 400th attempt at this endeavor and I have a hooptie picked out that perfectly encapsulates my mission statement. But first there's this licorice behemoth that lives just blocks from my new spot in Bay Ridge. The mechanics were very nice when I asked to snap a few pics and I got the impression people do all the time:

This is a *1948 Chrysler Windsor sedan in Black. This car is executive, classy, and authoritative. It is also ready to start up and drive away 69 years after it came off the assembly line! The overall shape harkens back to the pre-war era of the fenders being separate from the body.
*The registration sticker claims this is a '49 but there was a comprehensive restyle. Perhaps this languished on the lot and was first titled in 1949?

First of all get a load of this pointy-lipped grill. Those turn signals tucked under the top horizontal bar are legit glass. The hood ornament is an eagle in flight looking down (at the whole world I'm sure).

This is a big car in person with the hood just continuing on forever like the prow of an ocean liner. The front fender itself is about as long as a Smart Car.
Beneath that mighty hood lies a 250 L-Head 6 cylinder good for a measly 114 horsepower. This was mated to a 4 speed manual transmission. Overall this car was about getting there in style and comfort as opposed to being swift.

The Windsor was a higher trim level of the Royal. The Saratoga, New Yorker, and Town & Country were all tonier than the Windsor, making for an impressive array of offerings for one make.

The original Windsor was introduced in 1939 to replace the Chrysler Airflow. The Airflow was a departure from almost anything built up to that point in that it had a slippery body born in a wind tunnel of Chryslers design. The Airflow was a flop but the lessons they learned influenced their designs for decades to come. This slippery shape is a direct descendant of the Airflow. 

You just know looking at these taillights that they are the pet project of some designer in the Chrysler studio. Beautiful and architectural, these could just as easily be installed on the Chrysler Building itself. The trunk is so tall that the spare tire sits upright in a little well to one side. 

This interior seems like a slightly out of date fancy restaurant in some grand hotel. The admittedly stained seat is still without tears though and it does match the secondary colors on the dash and door.
That is a manual transmission on the tree allowing for 3 abreast seating in comfort. There is a radio installed in the center with pushbuttons to remember your favorite stations. How satisfying are those chrome knobs under the dash? They control the lights (in 2 switches; the first is just for those bumper mounted running/fog lights and the second for headlights), temperature, and defrost. Under the closest of those is a clear acrylic knob which is actually the choke.

Well there we have it; a lovely old post war yacht roosting mere blocks from my new home. The oldest car I ever owned was a 1947 Dodge which, while being downmarket from the haughty Chryslers, was more similar than dissimilar to this ride. My old beast had the semi auto Fluid Drive trans and drove like an old truck for $850. I have no doubt this would be a bit more refined but these are truly basic cars that are a cinch to work on. If you have a driveway or garage and like to tinker you can pick up a lovely postwar classic pretty cheap and drive around town with ease.
Tomorrow brings the 400th post!

Sweet Fleet De Luxe in a well worn tux

SWEET FLEET DE LUXE IN A WELL WORN TUX

There is no escaping the fact that the following pics were taken on a warm and beautiful summer day. I'm posting it today as a major winter storm is bearing down on the Northeast in hopes that it warms y'alls hearts. Regardless this sweet ride was roosting in Greenpoint last year:

This is a 1951 Chevrolet Fleetline De Luxe in Mayland Black. Where the name Mayland comes from is a mystery to me but I wanted to point out that it is not Maryland as Google kept insisting it might be. This era of Chevy was introduced in 1949 as the first wave of totally in new designs after WWII. The De Luxe was the mid-tier trim level between the lowly Special and the top of the heap Bel Aire.

I think this is one of the more handsome 4 door sedan designs as the rear doors are beautifully incorporated. Look how long and low the windows are at the rear. That, along with the chrome spear that runs back from under the windows to trail off on the sail panel makes this look like it's moving while sitting still. To be fair the gangster whitewalls, '70s Buick wheels, and the fact that the fender skirts have been removed makes this thing look deadly.

The Fleetline name denoted the fastback sub-series of the De Luxe line. More than just a fastback, the Fleetline is more of a factory chopped ride as the windshield and doors are too low to be interchangeable with the standard sedan. As a rare 4 door fastback this is a very collectible car today.

The end of the '40s/beginning of the '50s brought these awesome fastback bodies to all divisions of GM. While fastbacks have been produced in some form from the 1930s through today these were full-size formidable beasts laden with chrome which gives them serious stage presence.

It's 1951 and reverse lights are for suckers! A brake light combined with the turn signal is all you get. This was a new version for '51 called the Reflector-Guard. Their signature hallmark is the reflector button under the light that was marketed as protecting your car when it was parked.

From this angle it's easy to see the remnants of the detached fenders of the pre-WWII cars. It's not like one day cars had fenders separate from the body and the next day they didn't. There was an evolution. It's like Darwin's Tubercle people look it up!

Our hero today is a little ratty to be sure. The chrome has long left the bumpers, rust is munching its way through the edges of the body, and little dings and scrapes abound. However when you note that this thing is parked on a city street at the age of 66 you've got to admit it's pretty nice.

Here we can see the long and low roofline on display. The only missing trim I can see would be the continuation of that front fender spear that originally would have gone across the front door and half of the rear.

This large and impressive chrome fender guard was a feature of the 4 door cars only. All 2 door De Luxes had the chrome rocker molding end with the door which was still well in front of the rear fender.

The interior was all new for '51 and boasted some then new details we take for granted now like the dash overhanging the gauges a bit to reduce glare. This ride has the optional radio installed behind that massive chrome grill in the dash center. Above that is a handsome clock. The gearshift is that of the 3 on the tree manual. A Powerglide automatic transmission was optional but in this era if you knew how to drive at all you knew how to drive stick.

This trim would be tough to replace if missing!
Under this hood lies the famous 216 inline 6 cylinder "Valve-in-Head" engine that Chevy boasted had been in production in one sense or another since 1912! Imagine an automaker bragging that the engine in their new car was first designed 39 years earlier?! Their marketing angle was that they've had each year to improve upon this technology so that it is honed to perfection. A new larger 235 inline 6 was introduced as an option in 1950 but was only available with the Powerglide.

The jet-style hood ornament announced the beginnings of the Jet Age for Chevy.
It's easy to miss at first glance but if you look close the corners of the bumpers have a bolt on wrap around trim pieces that adds a little protection but mostly looks cool. These are rare period correct accessories that go for at least $200 today.

Well that's where we'll leave this sweet cruiser for now. Sitting up at an even ride height this sled gives the impression of being able to start up and drive immediately. Being that it is a rare Fleetline sub-series in modern Brooklyn with a California plate on it I'm sure this is somebody's baby. Hopefully I'll witness it cruising down the street some day when the warm weather returns.

Pennsylvania Plymouth in syndication

PENNSYLVANIA PLYMOUTH IN SYNDICATION

I was trolling the backwoods of Northeastern PA when I passed this sweet Mopar:

This is a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere II in Black. Now let's get this outta the way:

Alright back to the matter at hand. The Belvedere was the mid-size offering from Plymouth in the mid to late '60s. You can identify a '66 by the smaller inboard lights on the grill; the '65 had only 1 light on each side of the grill while the '67 had 4 headlights of equal size.

There is an air of formality to the Belvedere that I like. The stand up hood ornament and clean lines make the black paint look executive.

This car hails from the era of straight lines and crisp edges in design. The body is about as square as can be and the roof was designed with a ruler. Being 1966 the trunk just continues on for days. If the car ended at that round emblem it would be almost perfectly balanced. Incidentally that round shape is a gas cap hiding in plain sight.

I was extremely excited to look in and see that this is a manual transmission car! You can just make out the extra pedal meaning that this is a 3 on the tree ride. That combined with roll down windows, no radio, and no air conditioning make for an understated muscle car.

This thing is in fantastic condition throughout. The 2 dark rectangles on the edges of that center aluminum rear facade are the reverse lights. The wheels are original from the factory called Magnum 500.

That trunk is tabletop flat. The taillights are subtly different with the right side having three chrome rectangles and the left having two. The left side might be from a Belvedere I which is the lower trim level. The right is correct for both the Belvedere II and the top trim level Satellite.

The following year would bring the GTX version of this ride which was an unabashed muscle car.

Very formal wording befitting such a straight-laced ride.

This signifies that a V8 engine lurks under the hood but it could be anything from a 273 to the 383. The legendary 426 Hemi was available but if it were so equipped it would have the largest most ridiculous hood scoop you've ever seen. A mere 531 Belvedere IIs came with the Hemi.

Well that will do it for this sweet wolf in sheeps clothing. It's rare that a car gets nicer and nicer the more I stare at it but that's the case with this ride. Somebody definitely loves this car and parks it indoors for the colder months. I'm lucky I passed by it when I did!

A sleek black beauty from the tailfin era

TESSY WITH THE FINS

I was driving around the tiny and very secluded enclave of Mill Basin, Brooklyn when this rocket ship presented itself. Forgettaboutit!

This is a 1959 Dodge Royal in Jet Black. This car is powerful and evil. This is for the hitman who works alone. Christine was a '58 Plymouth Fury but you could just as easily picture this smooth ride mowing down Arnie's enemies while on fire.

There was just no way to get a pic of the front which is a shame. The front has 4 headlights nestled under slanted, angry chrome eyebrows. The grill looks like a metal monster clenching 2 swords in its teeth. I wanted to reach out and touch it but I was afraid of the consequences. *Time Bandits spoiler alert! Even the hubcaps double as roulette wheels to take all your money.

Royal is written out so innocently on that electric razor trim. In fact, look how subtle and perfect that trim is at the starting point. The chrome follows the exact shape of the fin, framing it.
I even dig the door handles on this ride.

The rear end of this thing is straight-up science fiction! Four rockets form the taillights and the fins look like they help keep this thing on its course while engaging light speed. Its very hard to miss but the door hiding the gas cap is unceremoniously placed right on the side of the fin! Any less dynamic of a car and it would stick out like a sore thumb, but here you barely notice it.
If these fins look outrageous consider this: 1959 was the year of Ecto-1 and the other tallest-fins-ever Cadillacs. These are actually somewhat reserved!

This Royal is playing a neat trick as it is truly a large automobile. The trunklid remains flat as a table before coming down at almost a right angle from the end of the fins. The space inside is colossal! However with the Forward Look design of the late '50s Dodges it exudes an air of athleticism.

Well that's where we'll back away from this black beauty that just wants a moment alone. Mill Basin is a unique little pocket of folks who definitely don't like the idea of outsiders rolling through their hood so I made a quick pit stop to take these pics. A few blocks later we passed an unmarked but extremely obvious cop waiting on a side street. The thing is there is ZERO traffic in the dead-end cul-de-sac of Mill Basin in the middle of the day. I got the impression that anyone suspicious would be stopped and sent their merry way stat!

TAKE ME IN OH TENDER WOMAN

    TAKE ME IN OH     TENDER WOMAN    

I was out in some distant corner of Queens in Ozone Park or Woodhaven when I passed this tough beast with the ridiculous tagline (more about that later):

This is a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle in flat black. We know it's a '72 because the '71 had one single horizontal bar in the grill as opposed to the 2 shown here. Another difference is that the turn signals were broken up into 2 individual rectangles on each side while these are solid.

What can I say about a Chevelle that hasn't already been said? Like every Chevy from the '60s and '70s the Chevelle was hugely popular and could be ordered with any number of configurations.

This is obviously the body of choice for the muscle car crowd. However the Chevelle could be ordered as a 4 door sedan, convertible, and station wagon as well. The sporty hardtop look of this coupe is accentuated by the omission of the little pop-out vent windows which still adorned the front of the doors on the sedans.

There was a 4 tier hierarchy in the Chevelle lineup. At the bottom was the 4 door sedan. Next up was a 1972-only curiosity called the Heavy Chevy. Above that and somewhat splitting the difference was the luxurious Malibu and the musclebound Super Sport. If you wanted cushier seats with headrests, hidden wipers, chrome trim, or a convertible you went Malibu. If you wanted the earth shattering 454 V8 you went with the SS.

Here we see the sweet '72 vintage NY plates the owner's using, but else is that on the back?

WHAT?
I was gobsmacked by this when standing before it. When I searched the term I found that these are lyrics from the 1966 Al Wilson song The Snake. Unfortunately I also discovered that the President-Elect gave a dramatic reading of these lyrics back in March. He went on to explain something about how we knew he was a snake when we let him in. Yeesh. BACK TO THE CAR:

So this beast looks mighty capable with its tough paint job and Rally wheels. The law of averages would dictate that this has a 350 small block V8 in it just because they produced so many and they remain immensely popular.

There's a big aftermarket tach on the column and some gauges under the dash so this is meant to run hard. We can just glimpse the original radio. As far as that column shifter goes there is a slight chance that this is one of the last 3-on-the-tree manual Chevelles but most likely it's the stalwart TH350 auto.

Looks like somebody added a pop-up sunroof at some point, most likely in the '80s when this car was worth peanuts. The thing about Chevelles is that they built so many of them in each model year that you need a rare combination of options, engine, or the highest level of originality for it to be worth a lot. You could go out and buy beautiful Chevelles for $20,000 or under all day long.
This is how I prefer them; ready to be enjoyed and used daily. Good luck Tender Woman!

Glatte schwarze Schönheit bereit zu stürzen!

Glatte schwarze Schönheit bereit zu stürzen!

I was sleep walking down my block for some coffee one morning when I noticed this sweet German waiting patiently for its owner:

This is a 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera in Graphite Black Poly. We know it's a Carrera as opposed to the standard 911 because of those clear fog lights mounted into the lower valance under the bumper. This car is totally amazing in its looks and performance! It is also as '80s as cocaine on Wall Street.

This sweet 911 has more in common with the classic VW Beetle than most other cars; they are both powered by air-cooled engines placed in the rear over the drive wheels.

For the 2 year span of 1984-'85 there were no Porsche 930s available in the States. The signature look of the 930 was that huge tail and wide fender flares. To fill this need Porsche offered the M491 option (known in the UK as Supersport and simply Turbo-Look here in the States). That super-badass whale tail means business!

It was early in the morning when this was sitting with its hazards on in front of a hydrant.

Under the center of the wing just above the reflector bar you can just see where it says Turbo in script. These cars lend themselves to upgrading better than most due to the longevity of the basic design so who's to say if it's original? With the Turbo-Look on an actual turbo 911 it's extremely close to a 930. The color, sunroof, and great wheels make this thing about as desirable as it gets.

I didn't want to explain myself to an angry owner so I snapped a very quick pic of the interior.

The oil cooler for the engine is up front which necessitates a lot of oil for the entire system. When you change it you'll need somewhere around 9 and a half quarts!

I detailed cars back in school and as a result got to drive tons of different cars very short distances. The big surprise for me the first time I sat in a 911 was that the clutch pedal doesn't hang from under the dash like most cars, but rather goes forward and down flat to the floor when pressed. Like the Beetle the accelerator and clutch cables run under the floor to the drivetrain in the rear.

The 911 went on in air-cooled style from 1963 to 1998 (obviously with tons of changes along the way). In 1999 Porsche broke the heart of the 911 purist by switching to water cooled engines.

The values of these stalwart 911s have skyrocketed lately which was frankly overdue. These cars combine pure athleticism and engineering with sexy good looks. The top speed of this car when new was around 150mph which puts it in supercar territory. The Lamborghini Countach claimed 183mph as a top speed in '85 but that was a much more expensive, less reliable, and much less comfortable ride. The Lambo would run you $100,000 in '85 while this Porsche was a measly $32,000!
With that we'll leave this for Gordon Gecko to jump in and drive away. Few cars are as immediately recognizable and classic as the 911. If you stumble upon one in decent condition for not too much money I suggest grabbing it quick!