A lot of yapping about cars in recent days
So I thought to myself, were money no object, what cars would I own?
First and foremost: A 1932 Cord Phaeton.
Next: a 1934 Auburn Boat tailed Speedster
A Porsche 916. I’ve always loved the marque, but the “traditional” porsches (the 911, 912) didn’t appeal to me as much as the ugly porsches, the 914/916 and the 928S4. I LOVED the 928, and the 916 was a fast, well balanced little mid engine that- while slow by todays standards- was an amazing piece of engineering.
A Morgan Aero 8. Preferably the fixed head, the convertible is just too damned ugly.
A Lotus Europa. I can’t get in one at all, but I still think they’re cool.
a Unimog. The perfect vehicle for the coming Zombie Apocalypse.
There are a lot more, but those are the predominant ones that spring to mind.
Money being no object, what rides do you lust after?
29 comments Og | Uncategorized
I am with you on the Cord and the Auburn (and if you have not been to the museum in Auburn, IN you are missing some fine automobiles). I would throw in a ’29 Ford model A roadster.
I think even with unlimited money, Wonderful car is pretty far down the list. My own lusts given money being no object are for property, fresh water supply, off grid power, and a private security force. I suppose if I had all of that, I would need a new F350 crew cab and a few Kubota tractors (one small and one large).
re: The 916 link…
I recognized the building in the background right off. Automobile Atlanta is where I bought my first 924, and where I got parts for my 924S. I still have the license plate frame around here somewhere…
They’re a pretty funky shop, being hardcore devoted to anything Porsche that isn’t rear-engined. They’re mostly 914/924/944 specialists.
There was a guy in my neighborhood used to build flared-fender 914/6’s. They were cool.
I’ve got a beautiful picture of one of the Cords that I use as a desktop background. It was taken at one of those concours shows. It’s black with more chrome than you can polish in a week. If you’d like I’d be happy to email it to you.
Had a friend who owned a couple of 928’s back in the day. He said he could cruise at 120mph or so, drop down a gear, and just go up to scary-speed
Two of these GT were built in 1962. The various mid-engined vehicles I’ve owned were influenced by its design, but political and engineering constraints never permitted one to be mass produced.
Had the car company (–spit–) not been driven by muscle car freaks, who knows how things would have turned out.
As long as I’m dreaming, I’d take my time machine back and save one from the crusher — just so it still existed even as a non-functioning shell — outside of too rare photographs.
Old car – Ford GT40. New car – Ford GT.
Ok, what I really want is a Ferrari F1 312T3. Since money would be no object I could build a replica of a any race track also.
Speaking of such mechanical imponderables, a blower Bentley, a birdcage Maserati, and a ’69 Miura – or ditto on the Ford GT40.
I’ve actually DRIVEN a type 61. Very nice. Too small. Ass inches from pavement.
Ditto on the GT40. I love that bundle-of-snakes header on the smallblock. I got a ride in the GT when it came out; it could be the best Ford ever made.
I had a friend who grafted a smallblock Chevy into a 914. That car would go from scary to terrifying in about 2.6 seconds.
I must just be the knuckle draggin’, dirt clod kickin’ redneck here at the the party … But make mine a bobbed Duece ‘n a half please. Dominates the parking lot at the Piggly Wiggly.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=719365
nah, Art, it’s about what you like, not what’s cool.
DirtCrashr,
“…a ‘69 Miura…”
Back around ’89 or so, when I was selling Chevies, R&T came out with a “greatest sports cars ever” special. The Miura was one of the last cars featured, and the subtitle of the piece has stuck with me to this day: “If You Don’t Like This One, Find Another Hobby.” ;)
Pascal Fervor,
“Had the car company (–spit–) not been driven by muscle car freaks, who knows how things would have turned out. ”
God, how it must have infuriated string-back-and-tweed-wearing nancy boys to have some lowly LS6 Chevelle circus wagon annihilate their pur sang favorites around Mid America…
Hmm. In no particular order:
914-16, the 944,
the Ferrari that the Ferris Bueller car was copied from, some big-ass Mercedes, the Lotus Elise from the late 60’s (this one especially — it was driven by Mrs. Peel in the Avengers, and my brother had a model of it (not Mrs. Peel)).
Datsun 240z, ’64 Mustang, 69 Mach 1, the newer Mustang muscle car, Toyota MR2 convertible.
I had a plastic model of that Corvair Monza you link to, Pascal. My mother kept EVERYTHING, so it may still be somewhere in the garage. (shock, horror, nausea)!!!!!
“God, how it must have infuriated string-back-and-tweed-wearing nancy boys to have some lowly LS6 Chevelle circus wagon annihilate their pur sang favorites around Mid America…”
lol. As long as they were going in straight lines, that is.
Also: I’d be careful even suggesting an inferrance to pascal as a “nancy boy”.;) Thirteen years my senior, he can easily kick my ass, and outdrive and outhink me on the way to my ass kicking. LOL!
AC Cobra.
’65Dodge Coronet 2dr sedan with a 440 wedge – NOT the 326-hemi – running down the AF scramble line runway down at Bocha Chica NAS in 1966-67.
Not mine, belonged to a fellow airman.
I know where one of the cords was. The kid followed the dad into collecting and it was in the barn in the late 60’s. I would bet it is still there. Maroon as I recall. Head lights always give that one away.
Nice car.
I’m with Ed – AC Cobra. Also, a Ferrari Testarossa and a 1965 Corvette Stingray with the 396.
’68 Yenko Camaro
2011 Cobalt 242 with 430HP Merc. – not a car, but damn I sure would like to own one.
“Also: I’d be careful even suggesting an inferrance to pascal as a “nancy boyâ€.;)”
Wasn’t.
However, before the performance lights went out in Detroit, the last generation of muscle- and pony-cars was a lot more capable in the handling and braking department vis-a-vis their sports car contemporaries than most give them credit for.
“the last generation of muscle- and pony-cars was a lot more capable in the handling and braking department ”
lol. Relatively speaking, I suppose!
“lol. Relatively speaking, I suppose!”
It’s all relatively speaking.
Any rental Camry these days will pull more G’s on a skidpad than an E-type on bias-plys…
Indeed. I’ve often thought that all of the nice older sports cars I could possibly restore, like a 914-6, or a corvair, or a stang, I could buy a Solstice or a Miata or- god forbid- a new stang, that would sit in the garage waiting for the moment that i wanted to enjoy it, and here’s the tricky part- it would run. Without three weekends of prep. Without a trunkload of spare parts. With amenities like cupholders and A/C. And a comfortable suspension that would still allow me to lean into a corner and snap it up on three wheels, just like the old days.
I don’t want cars per se; I want a GARAGE MAHAL.
One or two lifts. A parts room. An engine disassembly room, connected via doors with a separate engine assembly room. Machine tools. Tire machine and dynamic balancer. A spray booth. A real compressor. Heated and air conditioned (at least in parts). Blast cabinet, powder coating oven, a serious welding setup. Cat 5e and WiFi for various shop computers; an office and game room upstairs and plenty of storage on mezzanines. A forklift.
For the price of one high-end classic car, it could be done, given the land. And then I could rebuild anything that caught my fancy.
Speaking of that self-same alleged car company…
God, how it must have infuriated string-back-and-tweed-wearing nancy boys to have some lowly LS6 Chevelle circus wagon annihilate their pur sang favorites around Mid America…
I’m reminded of the story of a bunch of GM execs at a test track to see a Corvette do its stuff. There was a Fiero out there being tested, running rings around the Corvette. It accelerated faster and cornered better than the flagship model could.
The Fiero had a Quad 4 engine in it.
GM execs to the Pontiac guys: “That Fiero is to be crushed by end of business today.”
True story.
Yeah, there were similar stories about many of the GM rides. Partner knows a lot of them firsthand, and can recite them on demand.