Cars you don't see many of anymore

[Franco Cozzo]

Driving about Melbourne it's getting rare to see particular cars on the roads as time goes on, say from 2010 to 2020 the landscape of our 'car parc' has significantly changed as the older vehicles retire.

Hyundai Excel is something you hardly see these days compared to 10 years ago where it seemed they were still everywhere with their annoying rear fog light on.

Hyundai Getz has all but disappeared.

Ford Festiva and it's Mazda 121 brother were about in numbers which you hardly see.

EF/EL Falcon doesn't appear on the roads too much either.

Also 1990s Jap imports like R33 Skyline is uncommon now where as a decade ago there were heaps of the povvo spec GTS-25/T variations kicking about Melbourne.

What have you noticed over the decades where there were heaps and then they just seemingly disappeared from the roads as time progressed?

[prktkljokr]

Honda Zot
back window always reminded me of a diving mask

[roKWiz]

Along with the Zot, 80s and 90s Accords used to be everywhere, Tarago's were the main soccer mum shopping cart.

I'll mention the bleeding obvious trucks but one night I went to sleep and woke the next morning to discover that al the Louisville's had disappeared and all the Ford Traders went to India.

[Tonz]

Originally Posted by prktkljokr

Honda Zot
back window always reminded me of a diving mask

you do not understand the joy of those until you drive one and go faster than a BMC Mini from traffic lights.....that was many years ago.

[Fairlane 500]

An Australian icon,

The great Ford Falcon Taxi.

[Rico 110s]

Originally Posted by Fairlane 500

An Australian icon,

The great Ford Falcon Taxi.

I could not believe it but saw one pull out of a side street in Brisbane the other day. Bitter sweet moment for me and what it meant to Australian Manufacturing.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by Fairlane 500

An Australian icon,

The great Ford Falcon Taxi.

You can't be serious? Falcon taxis are everywhere in Melbourne. I'd say somewhere between 15-20% of taxis would still be Falcons these days.

Cars you don't see many of - 1950s classics! Very few here in Australia, whereas if anyone has ever been to America, they're everywhere. Every other house in the US seems to have some classic car sitting in the driveway or garage. I'm not sure why this is - maybe the Americans are just more car obsessed. Or the fact that 1950s cars were plentiful in America back in the day, and there were so many good models. Here in Australia, cars were relatively scarce still in the 50s, and we had very few models worthy of collection.

[lumen8]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Cars you don't see many of - 1950s classics! Very few here in Australia, whereas if anyone has ever been to America, they're everywhere. Every other house in the US seems to have some classic car sitting in the driveway or garage. I'm not sure why this is - maybe the Americans are just more car obsessed. Or the fact that 1950s cars were plentiful in America back in the day, and there were so many good models. Here in Australia, cars were relatively scarce still in the 50s, and we had very few models worthy of collection.

There was a time nobody wanted them here. A lot of chevys ended up at Norm Teppers joint in Murtoa.

The old holdens and fords, so many just rusted away on farms, or got scrapped in cities.

In the US, the 57 chevy for one was always popular in different forms of racing so although many got demolished by accident (and sometimes on purpose) , im not sure they were ever undesireable. Heck they now make the bodyshells new, you can build one from scratch having no original parts.

Everywhere in this world has become somewhat of a throw away society, but I think there are/were more hoarders in the US, people who couldnt bring themselves to throw cars and parts away.

[MrZ]

Originally Posted by lumen8

There was a time nobody wanted them here. A lot of chevys ended up at Norm Teppers joint in Murtoa.

Who's that?

[lumen8]

Originally Posted by MrZ

Who's that?

I thought id replied earlier but I mustve lost the post

He was a farmer who was collecting chevys and pontiac cars and trucks for decades, buying whatever he could on the cheap when nobody else wanted them.

I went and saw his place once in the late 80s as a kid. By then people started knowing about it, it had been mentioned in magazines, and whatever he had in 55-57 was flying out the farm gate by then.

Norm didnt care for the shoebox chevys and said so, he liked the big 67s and 68s and if I remember right had 2 or 3 of those in as new condition that were garaged.

All of them were the Australian assembled ones, so no 2 doors or anything exotic. 4 door post cars mostly, if not all of them.

Apparently when he passed, whatever was left there got scrapped.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Fairlane 500

An Australian icon,

The great Ford Falcon Taxi.

Thinking back to this post.....and a yellow one aswell still being used around Wang. Silly bugger nearly ran into my truck today.

[Fed]

I haven't seen a daily driver VW for 3 decades.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Fed

I haven't seen a daily driver VW for 3 decades.

Beetle ?? There are 3 here, daily's commuting to Albury/Wodonga and a local Kombi.

And good to see they are all on full rego.

[CobraJet351]

XF's and VL's

[Citroënbender]

Peugeot 306. Plenty sold here, bodies never rusted, just reached negligible value and were scrapped.

[ebv8]

here in Wollongong we are blessed with all those forgotten cars
the choice of the local meth expert is an excel or magna
old hoons drive falcons and young hoons drive holdens, plenty around here
plenty of rare cars around most are located in disrepair up driveways or front yards but still seen driving

i found a vauxhall viva when i went home a different way the other day and on the same street i found a drifters junkyard, R32 coupe some silvias and 180's all dumped out he front. i'd love that R32

my local wrecker has heaps of rare cars too but he wants too much for complete cars so they just rust away

[anobserver]

Originally Posted by ebv8

here in Wollongong we are blessed with all those forgotten cars
the as of the local meth expert is an excel or magna

Here in Bris, not even the p plate zoomer gen want magnas now. Cant say i blame them, really... they have a number of mech issues that inevitably arise with mileage.

Originally Posted by ebv8

i found a vauxhall viva when i went home a different way the other day and on the same street i found a drifters junkyard, R32 coupe some silvias and 180's all dumped out he front. i'd love that R32

my local wrecker has heaps of rare cars too but he wants too much for complete cars so they just rust away

Always liked the 180s, the skyline sedans and four door straight sixes...but the remaining 180s are for the most part, modified (ie made worse). Watched a youngish bloke leaving his tyre shop employer in one - wider wheels, slammed, fat exhaust.... ruined.

Im going outside to yell at clouds again....

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by ebv8

here in Wollongong we are blessed with all those forgotten cars
the choice of the local meth expert is an excel or magna
old hoons drive falcons and young hoons drive holdens, plenty around here
plenty of rare cars around most are located in disrepair up driveways or front yards but still seen driving

i found a vauxhall viva when i went home a different way the other day and on the same street i found a drifters junkyard, R32 coupe some silvias and 180's all dumped out he front. i'd love that R32

my local wrecker has heaps of rare cars too but he wants too much for complete cars so they just rust away

family friend in Shellharbour owns a mint Vauxhall Viva ... and full rego ... regularly gets driven.

[Pis-ton broke]

i don,t see any porsche 111,s anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXFvygp1igM

[hayseed]

The Toyota Hiace used to be as Common as.....arrrrs..... Bellybuttons.
But I never see one Now.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by hayseed

The Toyota Hiace used to be as Common as.....arrrrs..... Bellybuttons.
But I never see one Now.

Seed, you need to look for them down in Lane Cove NP tourist park, all the backbackers probably abandoned them when they had to leave suddenly.
Failing that outback NT or WA or Cairns. Along with Mitsi express and Nissan Urvans.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Seed, you need to look for them down in Lane Cove NP tourist park.

We'll be Camping there in a few weeks time. I'll have a Look.

i was thinking More in terms of Couriers & Tradies using them in their First Life..

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by hayseed

We'll be Camping there in a few weeks time. I'll have a Look.

i was thinking More in terms of Couriers & Tradies using them in their First Life..

They probably were all ex courier and trade vehicle conversions.
(thank you youtube.)
Take a look down the bottom row when you get there but get a tetanus shot beforehand.

[BENT_8]

Wide body camrys and same era corollas.
Once were heaps, now a rarity.

[b0son]

Although there were never that many around to begin with... Holden Calibra and Ford Probe

[M&Ms]

Nissan Pulsar GTiR

[anobserver]

Ford Lasers.

[Gomer]

Mitsubishi 380

[roKWiz]

Telstar's and Mazda 929 of that era.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Telstar's and Mazda 929 of that era.

Well I saw a 90's Ford Telstar today and for sale. looked a bit rough.