I had a 1979 Olds Cutlas Salon with a 260 V8 and a 5sp Manual gearbox. GM told me only 261 were built that year. Shift pattern was a race style, first was toward you and back with 2nd through 5th in the normal "H" pattern.
Ever own a strange or unusual car?
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Owned a Volvo S60 2.4 NA with 5 speed stick.
Thought I'd be smart and find one with no turbo to fail and no auto to poo poo the bed prematurely.
Little did I know I was purchasing the mushiest handling, most gutless Euro car with factory 17's (which would scrape the wheel well when doing normal turns) ever built.
Worst.car.ever.
Thought I'd be smart and find one with no turbo to fail and no auto to poo poo the bed prematurely.
Little did I know I was purchasing the mushiest handling, most gutless Euro car with factory 17's (which would scrape the wheel well when doing normal turns) ever built.
Worst.car.ever.
Quite a few-
1992 Toyota Previa- Mid engine AWD, never big sellers but a neat van- called it the spaceship- felt like one.
1985 Volkswagen Vanagon 0-60 in 30. Used to drink oil like a mother until I figured out to use 20w50
1974 Mercedes 240D 0-60, in 60
But got unbelievable mileage and was stone cold reliable.
1996 Volvo 850
1992 Mercedes 400e - first year E class V8- amazing build quality
1987 Ford Escort GL hatch, my first stick shift! Bought it for $10- and it ran. No joke.
Blackest oil I had ever seen- don’t think it had been serviced in years. 13 inch tires, haha
1988 Ford Tempo- also running- $32. Was rear ended- drove it 80 all the way home to find both the oil and tranny dipsticks dry once I got there. Filled it up and it ran great for quite some time, until my dad ran it out of oil
Daewoo Leganza- terrible car, even with 30k on it. Caught on fire at 90k.
1982 Lincoln Mark VI- beautiful car until it got stolen and scrapped before I found it
1994 Lincoln Mark VIII- faster than mustangs of the same year- never lost a stop light drag to anything.
1985 Rolls Royce Silver Spur- phenomenal car. Much to my amazement, called for 15w40
Audi A6 4.2 Quattro- great car until the timing chain caused the engine to eat itself
1992 Toyota Previa- Mid engine AWD, never big sellers but a neat van- called it the spaceship- felt like one.
1985 Volkswagen Vanagon 0-60 in 30. Used to drink oil like a mother until I figured out to use 20w50
1974 Mercedes 240D 0-60, in 60
But got unbelievable mileage and was stone cold reliable.1996 Volvo 850
1992 Mercedes 400e - first year E class V8- amazing build quality
1987 Ford Escort GL hatch, my first stick shift! Bought it for $10- and it ran. No joke.
Blackest oil I had ever seen- don’t think it had been serviced in years. 13 inch tires, haha
1988 Ford Tempo- also running- $32. Was rear ended- drove it 80 all the way home to find both the oil and tranny dipsticks dry once I got there. Filled it up and it ran great for quite some time, until my dad ran it out of oil
Daewoo Leganza- terrible car, even with 30k on it. Caught on fire at 90k.
1982 Lincoln Mark VI- beautiful car until it got stolen and scrapped before I found it
1994 Lincoln Mark VIII- faster than mustangs of the same year- never lost a stop light drag to anything.
1985 Rolls Royce Silver Spur- phenomenal car. Much to my amazement, called for 15w40
Audi A6 4.2 Quattro- great car until the timing chain caused the engine to eat itself
Beatlebob321992 Toyota Previa- Mid engine AWD said:
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
It was a diesel too. Was a blast to drive.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Didn't own it...but probably the most reliable thing my parents ever had...mid engined and all
Had one. Not mid-engined but it did have the transmission mounted ahead of the engine. My first FWD car. One of the first hatches. Renault called it the R16 Sedan-Wagon.
Also had a 62 Fiat 600. Fifty miles per gallon. Fifty miles per hour tops. Fifty miles per quart of oil--sprayed all over the rear window. My room mate bought it from me and flipped it on a closed shopping center parking lot while teaching his girl friend to drive. They were able to pick it up off its side and drive home.
Didn't own it...but probably the most reliable thing my parents ever had...mid engined and all
Had one. Not mid-engined but it did have the transmission mounted ahead of the engine. My first FWD car. One of the first hatches. Renault called it the R16 Sedan-Wagon.
Also had a 62 Fiat 600. Fifty miles per gallon. Fifty miles per hour tops. Fifty miles per quart of oil--sprayed all over the rear window. My room mate bought it from me and flipped it on a closed shopping center parking lot while teaching his girl friend to drive. They were able to pick it up off its side and drive home.
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Originally Posted By: csandste
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Didn't own it...but probably the most reliable thing my parents ever had...mid engined and all
Had one. Not mid-engined but it did have the transmission mounted ahead of the engine. My first FWD car. One of the first hatches. Renault called it the R16 Sedan-Wagon.
Also had a 62 Fiat 600. Fifty miles per gallon. Fifty miles per hour tops. Fifty miles per quart of oil--sprayed all over the rear window. My room mate bought it from me and flipped it on a closed shopping center parking lot while teaching his girl friend to drive. They were able to pick it up off its side and drive home.
Mid engined simply means the engine is mounted between the front and rear wheels.
It doesn't matter if the engine is in front or behind the passengers.
Its still mid engined.
Another example of a front mid engined car would be the Ferrari FF.
I have not owned (or used) many particularly unusual cars.
My first car was an Austin A40 MK2 Farina.
My third was a Brown Austin Allegro which we named the "flying turd"
And I learnt to drive in a 1984 Renault 14 TS which was a bit weird visually and was starting to rust at 3 years old.
The Renault 16 was only called the Sedan-Wagon for the US Market.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Didn't own it...but probably the most reliable thing my parents ever had...mid engined and all
Had one. Not mid-engined but it did have the transmission mounted ahead of the engine. My first FWD car. One of the first hatches. Renault called it the R16 Sedan-Wagon.
Also had a 62 Fiat 600. Fifty miles per gallon. Fifty miles per hour tops. Fifty miles per quart of oil--sprayed all over the rear window. My room mate bought it from me and flipped it on a closed shopping center parking lot while teaching his girl friend to drive. They were able to pick it up off its side and drive home.
Mid engined simply means the engine is mounted between the front and rear wheels.
It doesn't matter if the engine is in front or behind the passengers.
Its still mid engined.
Another example of a front mid engined car would be the Ferrari FF.
I have not owned (or used) many particularly unusual cars.
My first car was an Austin A40 MK2 Farina.
My third was a Brown Austin Allegro which we named the "flying turd"
And I learnt to drive in a 1984 Renault 14 TS which was a bit weird visually and was starting to rust at 3 years old.
The Renault 16 was only called the Sedan-Wagon for the US Market.
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Originally Posted By: csandste
Had one. Not mid-engined but it did have the transmission mounted ahead of the engine. My first FWD car. One of the first hatches. Renault called it the R16 Sedan-Wagon.
Yes, front engine behind the front driving wheels is "mid engined"
Just like the Lotus Europa with the engine in front of the rear drive axle is "mid engined.
Had one. Not mid-engined but it did have the transmission mounted ahead of the engine. My first FWD car. One of the first hatches. Renault called it the R16 Sedan-Wagon.
Yes, front engine behind the front driving wheels is "mid engined"
Just like the Lotus Europa with the engine in front of the rear drive axle is "mid engined.
Another unusual vehicle (to the US) was the CA Bedford...the breadvan. Sliding front doors that you could latch open with a strap. Who needs aircon when you can drive with both front doors wide open. Mine was a bit unusual in that it was repowered with a Vanguard 6 engine and gearbox, with a Vauxhall Velox rear end. Americans would know that engine from the Triumph GT6, or a larger version in the TR6. The 6 cyl Velox diff gave the old van some better gearing for the engine. It was my motorcycle hauler for awhile.
I think I like unusual cars...well, by American standards maybe
(not my pictures, but same colors)
Nothing rare or exceptional, but still when I see someone else with the same car, we have to say Hi!
(not my pictures, but same colors)
Nothing rare or exceptional, but still when I see someone else with the same car, we have to say Hi!
So far the cars shown are not overly unusual so I’ll chime in. Mine was a 1976 German built Mercury Capri with a 2.8 liter V-6, 4 speed, dual exhaust, Black with gold wheels. The windshield washer was a foot pump instead of electric. They all rusted away in the 80’s. Pretty rare now.
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
So far the cars shown are not overly unusual so I’ll chime in. Mine was a 1976 German built Mercury Capri with a 2.8 liter V-6, 4 speed, dual exhaust, Black with gold wheels. The windshield washer was a foot pump instead of electric. They all rusted away in the 80’s. Pretty rare now.
might be strange and unusual there, but not to the rest of the world...Oz, many of those pumps were a rubber dome that really only worked remotely decently if you drove bare foot, and pressed it with your big toe.
So far the cars shown are not overly unusual so I’ll chime in. Mine was a 1976 German built Mercury Capri with a 2.8 liter V-6, 4 speed, dual exhaust, Black with gold wheels. The windshield washer was a foot pump instead of electric. They all rusted away in the 80’s. Pretty rare now.
might be strange and unusual there, but not to the rest of the world...Oz, many of those pumps were a rubber dome that really only worked remotely decently if you drove bare foot, and pressed it with your big toe.
My first, actually.
It was a 1964 Pontiac Acadian Invader. No, really.
Best part was the "Invader" badge on each back quarter panel in chrome script lettering (1-piece) about 18" long.
Made side-by-side with Chevy II's at the GM Chevrolet-Pontiac factory somewhere around Toronto. Unique interior, front grille / facia and rear taillights, same frame / drivetrain as the Chevrolets, typical of "Canadian Pontiacs" built before the auto pact of 1968, a 230 CU IN Chevy "Stovebolt" 6 and three on the tree. Paid $400 for it around 1978 or so.
The Acadian is built on a Nova chassis (Beaumonts on Chevelle chassis). They cost more than the Chevys at the dealer, sold at Pontiac / Buick dealers (in Canada, Cadillac were available as a separate franchise, but otherwise you were either Pontiac / Buick /GMC or Chevy / Oldsmobile, always combined).
Silk from NZ:
I knew a guy who drove a Right Hand Drive imported Bedford van around town here in the 70's.
It was a 1964 Pontiac Acadian Invader. No, really.
Best part was the "Invader" badge on each back quarter panel in chrome script lettering (1-piece) about 18" long.
Made side-by-side with Chevy II's at the GM Chevrolet-Pontiac factory somewhere around Toronto. Unique interior, front grille / facia and rear taillights, same frame / drivetrain as the Chevrolets, typical of "Canadian Pontiacs" built before the auto pact of 1968, a 230 CU IN Chevy "Stovebolt" 6 and three on the tree. Paid $400 for it around 1978 or so.
The Acadian is built on a Nova chassis (Beaumonts on Chevelle chassis). They cost more than the Chevys at the dealer, sold at Pontiac / Buick dealers (in Canada, Cadillac were available as a separate franchise, but otherwise you were either Pontiac / Buick /GMC or Chevy / Oldsmobile, always combined).
Silk from NZ:
I knew a guy who drove a Right Hand Drive imported Bedford van around town here in the 70's.
'88 olds Toronado and an '80 Toyota corona. Never drove the Toyota, and it's the only foreign nameplate I've ever owned. Needed a gas tank, carb rebuild, and rust repair around the base of the vinyl top. Traded it to a buddy for a '76 or '77 Ford f100, which I sold to an Irish guy from Tennessee.
Originally Posted By: TheLawnRanger
I had an '84 Cutlass Supreme that looked like the attached picture. It was not really a family car, not really a sports car even though my insurance company tried to say it was because of "sport rims". It was cool and powerful but there was always some small nickel and dime you to death type problem and at times some major problems. I hated to see it go but it was a relief in some ways.
First car was n 83 Cutlass Supreme that my grandpa ordered. It was blue with painted red pinstripes, vinyl seats, am radio, V6 so not much power at all. AC compressor locked up, taillights always burning out, etc...
Not a bad car but did let loose on me while going down the hwy in bad weather going in a straight direction. More likely bad tires but the suspension wasn't good. Esp when hitting some bumps on the hwy and in a turn.
I had an '84 Cutlass Supreme that looked like the attached picture. It was not really a family car, not really a sports car even though my insurance company tried to say it was because of "sport rims". It was cool and powerful but there was always some small nickel and dime you to death type problem and at times some major problems. I hated to see it go but it was a relief in some ways.
First car was n 83 Cutlass Supreme that my grandpa ordered. It was blue with painted red pinstripes, vinyl seats, am radio, V6 so not much power at all. AC compressor locked up, taillights always burning out, etc...
Not a bad car but did let loose on me while going down the hwy in bad weather going in a straight direction. More likely bad tires but the suspension wasn't good. Esp when hitting some bumps on the hwy and in a turn.
One of quite a few odd cars I have had. This Saab had a 2 stroke 3 cyl engine and three on the tree column shift. I added one quart of SAE 30 detergent Wolfshead oil to 8 gals of gas at each fillup. The dealer sold 50:1 oil but too far away and the manual said this was Ok. I drove mine across country more than once. It was green and in mint condition in and out. A drunk driver ran into me at a traffic light from behind and smashed in both ends as I was behind another car. Very strong design and steel in it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_93#/media/File:MHV_Saab_93_01.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_93#/media/File:MHV_Saab_93_01.jpg
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