Car Thread

[Tom Dempsey]

I looked at one of those in 1975 at the Pontiac dealership in Arlington Virginia. It was more angular then the Delorean and only available with an automatic transmission. Didn't really like it during the drive. Last one I saw was here in Spokane in the mid nineties. Some kid from Montana had inherited it from his Dad and traded it to a mechanic here straight across for a fairly cherry Pontiac Trans Am because "he couldn't get parts for it back home". The mechanic told me he jumped all over that deal, took him about seven months to restore it, he drove it to work every day.

[sarge]

The Bricklin was an attempt at a safe sportscar to the social extreme; the guy who started it refused to put a lighter and ashtray in the car (this the '70s, remember) as he was a militant non-smoker.

He held strong social opinions and was most happy to force them on others, and that car-as-a-social-statement mentality was (and still is) strongly expressed in his much more successful earlier enterprise, Subaru USA.

I think he was somehow involved with the importation of Yugos, too.

John, that Marmon is a gorgeous thing, isn't it!

[E7]

The Bricklin was an attempt at a safe sportscar to the social extreme; the guy who started it refused to put a lighter and ashtray in the car (this the '70s, remember) as he was a militant non-smoker.

I subscribed to "Car and Driver" back then and they ran an article about Malcom and the car, and it said they gave a Zippo lighter to the smokers that bought one. Really. Don't know why I remember that bit of silliness.

Gull wing doors? AMC engine?

http://content.time.com/time/specials/2 ... 32,00.html

Answers the qustion about the gullwing doors

[John Webster]

Part of the beauty of that Marmon is the curvaceous line of the front fenders, part is the belt line that runs from the radiator straight back to where it curves down over the rear wheels and part is the simplicity. The harmony of the shape belies it's size; about the same size (and weight I suspect) as a modern full size pickup truck.

This image from Wikipedia shows the engine which seems to be a pushrod overhead valve arrangement with crossflow heads:



There are a lot of beautiful and technologically advanced American cars from the 20s and 30s that have been forgotten.

[John Webster]

A couple of those forgotten beauties:

A Cord L-29 Roadster:





The low overall height and cover plate between the front wheels proudly proclaim that it has front wheel drive.

A Ruxton Roadster:







Again, the low height made possible by front wheel drive leads to a sleek shape. Unfortunately the sun was too much for my ability to operate the camera; the trim on this car is almost salmon pink. It was parked next to the Miller 91 FWD race car which was appropriate as the Ruxton used a Miller front drive design.

[healey36]

The Marmon Company has a great history, beyond their auto-manufacturing days which ended in the early 1930's. They continued on as a component manufacturer, eventually morphing into Marmon-Herrington, a much over-looked manufacturer and innovator of 4x4 technology. Ford had a long association with Marmon-Herrington, developing vehicles using 4x4 components, like this 1940 Ford Wagon:



The South Africans had considerable success using Canada-Ford power and chassis components along with the Marmon-Herrington 4x4 drive-train to construct a line of armored vehicles during the war:



They remain in business to the current day:

https://www.marmon-herrington.com/

Healey

[healey36]

Rummaging through and discussing die-cast with Tramp offline...saw this while doing a bit of research:



Sure would like to have a box of these...how about it Sarge?

Healey

[sarge]

I'd make some room for that in a case.

Gorgeous warm fall day, clear and colourful from the cockpit of an MGB. Won't be too many more before we close up shop at Comfy Mayhem. Lovely drive today!

[healey36]

Well, tomorrow the 2004 Vibe and I part ways...the folks at Make-A-Wish said they'd be glad to have it. Needs some work, 221K on the clock:





Carried me the last ten years of travels along the battlefields known as I-270 and I-495, plus numerous trips to Frostburg State and Rensselaer. Took some hellish hits on parking lots, and bounced at least one deer off the hood and an owl off the windshield. Love those crank-up windows. Born at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California, a tribute to Toyota small engine tech and Mobile-1. It's about as much as one can expect from an econo-box.

So long old friend, and Godspeed.

Healey

[sarge]

Godspeed to the little perisher. That kind of mileage is nothing that needs apology. So, are you replacing it or merely trimming the fleet?


Meanwhile, do you think I'm in denial that the driving season for little open cars is pretty well done?





I do get these crispy scenes:







Harvest is pretty much over, tractors are parking up next to stacked fruit boxes and the apple trees turning:

[healey36]

Trimming the fleet, Sarge...a cut of twenty percent. Down to the Saturn SUV, the Z3, the Beetle and the Sprite.

I picked up the BMW from the dealer fifteen years ago on a cold, overcast late-October day. After completing the paperwork we walked outside into the bluster and they brought it around to me...top down and heater blasting. As the service manager told me with a grin, as long as it's not snowing or raining it's never to cold for an open car.

Looking good dude...drive on!

Healey


Edit :: Fleet could see re-expansion if I can chisel that Mayfair-edition Mini away from my neighbor...

[sarge]

I hope you can get that Mayfair!

Meanwhile, remember you're retired now so only one long-distance numb-mobile per family unit needed.

[Nev]

Ha Ha !!
What's with the beanie!!
Great photo mate I love it, I'm still laughing at this tough ex Airborne soldier can't handle a bit of wind in his hair.
The problems of Roadsters. OOPS ...sports cars.
THIS, is a Roadster!!!
Nev.

[Tom Dempsey]

Are those Centerline wheels?

[Tramp]

I spent some time with Bricklin in the early 80s. Stayed at his apartment in New York, taught him about sushi (at his request), and had both of his girlfriends (19 and 21 years old), one in each arm in the back of his limo driving around Manhattan. They were talking to each other across me, and I heard some ______ things. Yikes! I'll wait until he's gone to say anything more.

Is the above statement true or false?