Cars you don't see many of anymore

[.:4:.]

I know a bloke who owns a 61 studebaker hawk. It was an australian delivered one. He has had it for 20+ years and was restored in the early 90s by the previous owner, so he just maintains it meticulously. It is a garage queen, but is still on full nsw rego even though it only gets driven maybe 3 times a year. So its a factory stude 4.2L v8, 3 speed auto. From what he tells me, semi interesringly, apparently the valve body in the v8s, in drive, they will never use 1st gear. So take off in 2nd unless you select 1st, in the 6's they will take off in 1st in drive. So parts availability even from the US is thin. He has been trying to track down a valve body from a 6 cyliner 3 speed for many years. Apparently that was an era specific mod to do to these things that doesnt hurt resale etc but improves driveability in the v8 models.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

I know a bloke who owns a 61 studebaker hawk. It was an australian delivered one. He has had it for 20+ years and was restored in the early 90s by the previous owner, so he just maintains it meticulously. It is a garage queen, but is still on full nsw rego even though it only gets driven maybe 3 times a year. So its a factory stude 4.2L v8, 3 speed auto. From what he tells me, semi interesringly, apparently the valve body in the v8s, in drive, they will never use 1st gear. So take off in 2nd unless you select 1st, in the 6's they will take off in 1st in drive. So parts availability even from the US is thin. He has been trying to track down a valve body from a 6 cyliner 3 speed for many years. Apparently that was an era specific mod to do to these things that doesnt hurt resale etc but improves driveability in the v8 models.

Someone will set me straight on this one,but I thought the early Fordomatics in the 55-58 Customlines did the same thing with the autos(taking off in 2nd rather than 1st in drive)

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Someone will set me straight on this one,but I thought the early Fordomatics in the 55-58 Customlines did the same thing with the autos(taking off in 2nd rather than 1st in drive)

I did ask classic baz as to why the v8 stude never used 1st in drive. His answer was along the lines of the transmissions didnt shift overly smoothly and they were sold as more of a luxury car then a race car, so it was not about acceleration but being smooth. The 6's were the poor mans version and gutless, so needed 1st.
1st was there if selected in the v8 if you needed it for whatever reason. Im taking classic baz's word for all this as he is passionate about that car and i like it but dont really care.
Other interesting facts no one cares about that i was told about the stude 4.2 was the thermostat is mounted at the back of the engine, as far away as practical from the radiator so effectively the point where the engine coolant gets the hottest. Also, there was a golden hawk. So a factory centrifugal supercharged studebaker hawk. Now, i dont know head to tail about carbys. So what was rambled to me (classic baz, never ask about his car, he will litterally talk you ears off), if you use anyform of racing snail on a carby it needs to be boost referenced if its a blow through setup. Something about outside air preasure vs whats getting shoved down the carb. So what he told me was stude put a housing around the carby so therefore there was no differential in outside air preassure as opposed to what air gets shoved down the carb. So it was explained in such a fashion that i might be wrong, but it sounded convincing. Then theres draw through. Im pretty sure thats what cars like the xd grand prix had. So carb before the turbo then into the crossflow. My loose understanding is no need to boost reference carbs for that setup as its sort of like vaccum not too dissimilar to a naturally aspirated engine.

[mick taylor]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Someone will set me straight on this one,but I thought the early Fordomatics in the 55-58 Customlines did the same thing with the autos(taking off in 2nd rather than 1st in drive)

A C4 auto does that if you put in 2ed, for ice or mud conditions to take off.

What would be the point of having a 3sp auto and not having 1st gear.

[Peter B - CV8]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

I know a bloke who owns a 61 studebaker hawk. It was an australian delivered one. He has had it for 20+ years and was restored in the early 90s by the previous owner, so he just maintains it meticulously. It is a garage queen, but is still on full nsw rego even though it only gets driven maybe 3 times a year. So its a factory stude 4.2L v8, 3 speed auto. From what he tells me, semi interesringly, apparently the valve body in the v8s, in drive, they will never use 1st gear. So take off in 2nd unless you select 1st, in the 6's they will take off in 1st in drive. So parts availability even from the US is thin. He has been trying to track down a valve body from a 6 cyliner 3 speed for many years. Apparently that was an era specific mod to do to these things that doesnt hurt resale etc but improves driveability in the v8 models.

Wouldn't happen to be a dark green one would it ????

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

Wouldn't happen to be a dark green one would it ????

Its white with dark green side accents. I do know the number plate but wont say it over the interwebs out of privacy etc.

[Peter B - CV8]

I had an uncle who passed away about 20 years ago & his GT Hawk was sold at that time - thought it might have been his. It was british racing green (all over) & he spent quite a few dollars on bodywork, painting etc. Interior was a light brown colour - but in need of a retrim, carpets etc. They are nice looking car & sound quite distinctive (flat plane crank ???)

[bb_zetec]

Originally Posted by mick taylor

A C4 auto does that if you put in 2ed, for ice or mud conditions to take off.

What would be the point of having a 3sp auto and not having 1st gear.

My 66 Mustang has that, called "Green Dot" valve body.

It has the P,R,N, followed by a small white then a big green dot and L.

The Big green dot it starts in First, small white dot starts in 2nd.

There was confusion with this type of quadrant so the later ones went to the PRND2L type we all know.

The manual said the small dot was used for taking off in things like snow or mud etc..

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

I had an uncle who passed away about 20 years ago & his GT Hawk was sold at that time - thought it might have been his. It was british racing green (all over) & he spent quite a few dollars on bodywork, painting etc. Interior was a light brown colour - but in need of a retrim, carpets etc. They are nice looking car & sound quite distinctive (flat plane crank ???)

Nah, this one the original colour was light blue. Restored in the early 90s but done in white with the green accents. No bad words towards classic baz or the stude. But baz summed it up to me in lamens terms. So apparently the stude was like a saab. So pretty much a car dentists bought. Over engineered so when a new model came out, nobody went for it because there was nothing wrong with the old one. So apparently its along the lines of before inbuilt obsolescence was a thing.

[xkxlxm]

I saw an early Mazda Astina yesterday; not too many of them around now.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

I saw an early Mazda Astina yesterday; not too many of them around now.

What version? The old school boxy stye or the later more rounded model? Back in the day i knew a lady with an early one. Pretty sure it was a 1.8L 4 cylinder. She didnt know or care as aslong as it had 4 wheels and drove. A bloke i went to school with had the later model. So rounder body. From memory (and my memory doesnt always serve me correct) it was a front wheel drive underwhelming 2.5L v6.

[ford71V8]

Spotto'ed a TE/TF Corty this morning

[xkxlxm]

Yesterday's Astina was perhaps the first model. 'First' models had 10-spoke flatish wheel trims; 'second' models (a friend had one) had wheel trims where the 7 'spokes' were sort of bubble-shaped. 1.8 SOHC I think. These first/early models were a 'wedge' shape. I think there would have been higher spec models with mags.

There was a next/later model which was a totally different shape, all curves.

Then there were some 323 Astina wagons, different shape again.

(I mentioned once in a thread on number plates that I used to see, about 10 years ago, an early white Astina with VIC plates (B/W enamel) 80. A few years ago it was replaced by a white Mazda 2 with the same plates.)

[wodahs]

spotted a white WB pano today running round on one of my citys highways
was neat but nothing to say other than what i have said

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by wodahs

spotted a white WB pano today running round on one of my citys highways
was neat but nothing to say other than what i have said

Panel vans are cooool.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by wodahs

spotted a white WB pano today running round on one of my citys highways
was neat but nothing to say other than what i have said

Speaking of WB's. Nice Statesman Deville on full rego while passing through Benalla today.

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Panel vans are cooool.

tho i see more xe/f/h ford vans that i do holden
let alone wb n older
but yes when it comes to the vans there not much getting round as apposed to utes , wagons n sedans of the same

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Speaking of WB's. Nice Statesman Deville on full rego while passing through Benalla today.

image

i have a mate who inherited one of these (same colour n all) many years back when his father passed
unlicensed and full of rust tho he wanted to use it as much as he could as a memento
so he cut the roof off and put a horned cows scull on the front and drives it round his few thousand hector farm like boss hog from the dukes of hazard
as you do

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by wodahs

tho i see more xe/f/h ford vans that i do holden
let alone wb n older
but yes when it comes to the vans there not much getting round as apposed to utes , wagons n sedans of the same

Yeah, typical rust free inland cars still on the road. Often spot this J getting around, also on full rego.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by wodahs

i have a mate who inherited one of these (same colour n all) many years back when his father passed
unlicensed and full of rust tho he wanted to use it as much as he could as a memento
so he cut the roof off and put a horned cows scull on the front and drives it round his few thousand hector farm like boss hog from the dukes of hazard
as you do

I was thinking more of Big and Little Enis Bur....bur...... thats B...E....R......

[xkxlxm]

In Brunswick today: very nice yellow XC panel van; 1961-63 T-Bird convertible parked on the street, tarp over the roof; a yard surrounded by old corrug. iron fence with a lot of old truck cabs inside (and one 1970s Mazda sedan); I also saw a 77-81 Celica hatch/liftback.

In Fairfield, behind a dental surgery at 54-56 Station St, up to a year ago in the backyard was a Rover 3500 and a Mazda, which I think was an RX4. Both had been there for some years so they might still be there. (I want a spotter's fee if anyone gets one of them after this tip-off ... )

[Mont5.0]

Sigmas and scorpions are rare.

[.:4:.]

I have a thumds up to a bloke today, got a thumbs up in return. So being a sunday, im assuming its a sunday driver. So a vk commodore. Id like to think its a faker, but i dunno. Cammed, high rise manifold and carb out the bonnet. 20's and the rears looked wide enough to warrent mini tubs, drop tank in the rear and painted blue and looked like a hdt. Stickers and all.
Nice car but either way. A lot of money would have been thrown at it. I have seen it before, but just as a rolling shell driving past the local body shop in various stages of respray. Thats why I'd like to think its not a hacked up genuine hdt.

[xkxlxm]

You don't see too many Lancia Lambdas any more.

True story: six or seven years ago I was on my bicycle in suburban Melbourne. Old weatherboard house, had not been painted for decades, some gutters missing; it was in a pretty decrepit state. I spotted some junk or whatever over the paling fence. Stood up on the pedals, next to the fence, to get a proper look. A couple of vintage cars in the back yard, 'protected' from the elements by some sheets of metal on the roofs.

White and blue enamel badge on the radiator visible on at least one of the cars. Thought the badge might be a Lancia badge and some research at home confirmed that. Went back with camera and took a couple of pics over the fence. Knocked on the door but no answer although I could hear the radio or whatever on inside. Went back another time, no answer to my door knock, waited a while in my car. Car pulls up and old guy gets out of passenger seat and goes into the house. I go over and talk to him. He is happy for me to go into the back yard for a better look but no photos. (Didn't tell him I already had a couple.)

Two 1928 Lancia Lambdas; big saloons. Had been his father's. Been sitting there since 1958. 1958. The old guy was 82. I could see a motorbike that I had not spotted from over the fence. It was covered by a tarp and from where I was standing in the yard, with the front of the bike visible under the tarp, I could see that it was a vertical twin, 4 stroke, so I said to him is that a Triumph/BSA. No, it was a Royal Enfield that he used to ride to work; I think he said it was a 750. The front wheel was missing. He had split from his wife (must have been years before) and he had removed the wheel so that she couldn't take the bike.

The Lambda was built from about 1920 to 1931. Technically advanced. Unitary construction. V4 engine - very narrow angle V. There was a distinctive head gasket lying near the cars, with the four holes very close together. I think he said he was going to restore the cars.

One of the very large diameter rims was rusted through at the bottom. Clearly, the cars had been there for a long, long time; probably from 1958 as he said.

He said he had a Vincent that he used to race at Bathurst. It must have been in the house as I could not see it outside; I didn't ask to see it. He had been generous enough to let me into the back yard. Considering what was in his back yard I saw no reason to doubt the Vincent story.

(And I am pretty sure there was a Falcon wagon in the yard, too, a BA or something like that.)

I must go past again some time and stick my head over the fence to see if anything has changed.

[Fast Eddie]

Specifically, Colorado Red MK I Focus'sssssss.

[DFB FGXR6]

This Laser belongs to one of our regular customers.



The thing is immaculate! And I don't think this has been repainted, not bad for 30+ year old paint.

[oldel]

Wow yeah. Likely garaged and waxed frequently. I'm suprised as mazda/ford paint has such a bad reputation usually.

Never mind the paint - I got into old white cars like my BMW because the paint holds up well when a car is looked after, but with that laser even the body trims, cowls/wipers, rubbers etc looks good, definitely pampered. Rear window louvre still attached lol!

[janddbone]

My seven seat Mazda 626 wagon I just got! Yes it smokes an adequate amount! HA HA.

[Bossxr8]

Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart. Can't even remember the last time I saw a Colt, so seeing one of the turbo Ralliart models was a rare sight.

[Syndrome]

Chrysler/Mitsubishi Sigma