obrentharris 

It is a Syncro. The 2wd fuel filler probably confused you. I Installed that for filling the South African auxiliary fuel tank which you can just see peeking out under the sliding door.
Brent

Bikedued

Still miss this one. I inherited it from my Dad in 2003, and kept it until early 2015. It needed all kinds of engine work, but still ran, and drove nicely with a full urethane suspension, new springs, and KYB shocks. It was lowered 2" inches in back, and I cut one coil off of the front, until the new springs were put in. 360 4 barrel, 727 trans, and limited slip rear axle. When it ran well, it would feel like it was going to take off and fly when floored. It was a city of Eagle Lake TX vehicle, and was pretty much ordered with a heavy duty police package. 1986 Dodge Ramcharger.,,,,BD

The Unity spotlight didn't show up in the picture. It worked, but only when facing the windshield.

browngw 

My long standing 1980 Triumph TR7 purchased as a used car 25 years ago. Have driven it 80,000 km in that time.

Bikedued

The shape of things to come, as the commercial used to say. LOVE the plaid interior.,,,,BD


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk1QaAH-r_o

Chris W.

Wow, learn something new every day! The fuel filler did throw me off I have an 84' Vanagon that I just can't seem to let go of (it's patiently waiting for a Subaru 2.2 engine swap )

Cheers,
Chris

cog_nate 

1973 (I think...?) Jeep truck. J-10? I think that's it, can't remember for sure. This was it as of about a year and a half ago. The tailgate rusted off a year before that.


Belonged to my grandpa. My uncle took care of it after grandpa died, then my other uncle wanted it out at his place in Maine. So, me and a friend drove it out there from Topeka in 2002. It broke down twice, got a new radiator and new hydraulic lines on the way. Brakes finally and completely failed at Cap'n Newick's in South Portland... as in, we would have crashed into Cap'n Newick's if not for some very luckily sited shrubbery. Best road trip ever.

It's now on Great Chebeague, still runs.

neo_pop_71

I've had plenty, started with a '67 Mustang convertible when I was 13, got really into the first generation Chevy vans (had like 8 of 'em, VCVC anyone?), now I'm enjoying my '63 Sweptline. Got if off a farmer in central California, it was his truck for taking the misses into town, just about ever option possible such as A/C, AM radio, visors, stainless rain gutters and trim, cloth bench seat, etc.. Now it has push button trans, 440 swap, disc brakes, filled in the trim, filled in the hose and cap, hideous rear bumper is gone with rolled pan to clean it up back there, changed some lenses up front, Mopar side markers, making new tail lenses from '60S Ford wagon tail lights, and a bunch of other ideas like I wish they hadn't white blocked everything because the stock turquoise in the cab was awesome. I have time so I'm doing a little bit and enjoying myself, first one I've haven't rushed to get done. You don't see many of these around anymore, there are 3 others within 30 minutes of my home in SoCal... fun truck, especially with that 440!



(please excuse the photos, all I had on this laptop... self-portrait I did the day I bought the truck with mods in mind)

old's'cool

I remember those; interesting how the side window dip has moved from the back to the front (model year ~2000 & later Fords, e.g.) since then!

riva

Another Kawi..

sail

I had this 72 Saab 96 for 20 years. V4 Ford, 4 speed on column with fREEwheel.

non-fixie 

Nice! A 96 is still on my shopping list. I had one shortlisted recently, but decided on the Alfa instead. Between mrs non-fixie and me we had quite a few Saabs: a 99 Turbo, a handful of 900s and a 9000.

Best of all was a 900 'Silver Arrow'. It was a Dutch importer special edition of the two-door 8v Turbo. It was the stiffest body and best-handling 900 by far. We had the engine rebuilt by a specialist. Nice interior too, with a wooden steering wheel and gear knob.
I drove it from Holland to Switzerland once on my own (no-one to tell me to slow down) and it is still one of the drives I remember very fondly. Boy, was that thing fast!

oldsmobum

There are some awesome rides here. This is currently being neglected because of my bike projects...

carbomb

*patiently waits for someone to post something ancient and Datsun... and then hopes they're local so he can drive it... because they'll be cool like that =)*

thumpism 

Spotter's Guide sez to check the rear side marker lights. On the 2WD the front edge of the light brushes the vertical seam behind the wheelwell while the Syncro's light is more centered in that panel, a couple of inches further rearward than a 2WD's light. Only way to tell from the left.

sail

I used to drive that Saab all over the country solo and usually just slept in the back.
Now I drive this all over the country and still sleep in the back.

old's'cool

I had a 55 Super 88 Holiday Sedan that I "restored" during my university years, and had painted in the same colour scheme as your coupe. I also rodded the engine, Hydramatic tranny, and suspension, so it amounted to quite a bit more than meets the eye, at the end of the day. I mounted a lovely set of chrome American Racer diamond spoke wheels that went perfectly with all the chrome trim. Unfortunately, I don't have any digital pictures, only film & prints, still stashed away in boxes after umpteen moves. Also unfortunately, I had to leave the Olds behind for one of the moves.
The 1955 Olds is my #1 favorite from the Harley Earl school of styling, at least in terms of production designs. Combined with the trend-setting Rocket engine, Hydramatic trans, and suspension featuring front AND rear sway bars from the factory, it was quite the all around package in its time. NASCAR racers thought so also; in 1955 the Olds came second only to the mighty Chrysler 300 in overall race victories.

oldsmobum

Everyone I have ever met that actually had one too has great stories behind theirs... They certainly are special. Whenever someone says, "I had one too!" however, I am always cautious because it seems about 1/3 of the time it was actually a chevy or some other 50's era vehicle.

Mine is keeping the 324, after a 59 olds 394 I acquired wouldn't go in without some serious exhaust or steering modification. So the 324 lives on a stand in the living room, in the middle of a rebuild. Got bigger valves cut into the heads, and a 3x2 intake with 2gc carbs waiting to top it all off. The hydramatic snapped a band while I was on a date, which started the whole project to begin with... So in lieu of rebuilding it, I have mothballed it and will built in a th400 with a modified bellhousing to accommodate the 324 for the time being... If I ever get rich enough (not likely) it might get a gear vendors overdrive. It will get steel wheels with baby moons, and will go back to blue (it was originally a turquois color) but more of a light blue metallic with the white.

dddd

Those W650's are more British than a British bike, and vibrate at least as much, but hold their oil. I've nearly bought a couple of them, but N+1 can present problems when it's not a bicycle.
I hope to find a nice one when I am just a bit older enough to more fully appreciate it.

Pure art.

old's'cool

To clarify, the original 324 was the engine I rodded, with an Isky solid lifter (J202 grind) cam, Jahn's popup forged pistons, Thomas 1.5:1 magnesium adjustable rockers to go with the Isky cam, and a little "home" porting on the heads, not to mention relieving the bores adjacent to the intake valves.
Carburetion, intake manifold & exhausts were also customized.
Unfortunately, the cast iron crank proved to be the weak link, which let go after a few too many excursions toward 7000rpm. So I replaced the 324 with a Sears rebuilt, 1960 model year 371 short block, using heads that I had rebuilt & other longblock parts from a donor 1960 Olds. I forget how I solved the problem of the exhaust being a tight fit on the steering side, but somehow I got it to work. I think I just indented the downpipe until it cleared the steering.
My Hydramatic was pretty "snappy" after a custom rebuild by Stan's Trans in Vancouver BC; they upped the line pressure, roughened the drums, and installed truck Hydramatic clutch packs. For my part, I made some minor mods to the valve body to raise the shift points. Good times!

plonz 

So just how many Olds guys are there hanging out in a bike forum? Mine was a '67 442 during late teens/early 20s. I worked for an engine builder and we built up an Olds 425 c.i.d. block that was originally designed as an irrigation pump motor. The shop owner was a horrible businessman but a brilliant engine builder/fabricator and we put a crazy concoction of parts in that motor. That heavy beast would fill an entire city block up with tire smoke. Ah the good old days...

old's'cool

My latest "rod" is my 1988 Caprice wagon that came stock with an Olds 307, replaced shortly after I got it with a heavily "breathed on" Olds 403 bored to 409. The wagon gets out of its own way similar to how my 55 Olds used to do.

oldsmobum

If only I had the cash... Ross racing custom grinds cams for these still, they are where I had my transmission case altered. Mine would have Cadillac rocker shafts with Studebaker adjustable arms, since those magnesium ones are few and far between and cost a mint these days! Your car must have hauled some serious ass. I agree those hydro's shift out of first very swiftly, if it would hold it just a little longer it would make a world of difference alone! Failures like mine aren't common, it was very unfortunate. The issue I had with the 394 is that the driver side flange is in a different spot, slightly rearward. So that instead of dumping in front of the steering gear, it sits directly on top of it! I thought of getting starfire manifolds and 61-64 heads for it... But $$$$$$!!!

They do not get enough credit! Even in stock form they make mean, sometimes unreasonable amounts of torque!

Bikedued

I had my share of cool old cars in the eighties and early 90's. In the early 90's, that was a green 72 notchback Cutlass. I dropped a rebuilt engine in that one. I had to eat the core, because one of the water pump mounts had cracked and opened up on the original engine. I guess it froze at some point?

After that, a 71 convertible. Triple black with the wide chrome die cast trim. Sometimes the top pump worked correctly, but most times I had to "help" it. Loved the black paint,interior, and top. It was a little warm in Houston though. I would still love to have another Cutlass, they rode like they weighed 10 tons, and handled decently for being as heavy as they were. On the black convertible, I found some "metal" jewelry(music not material) and a evil looking knife stashed in the dashboard. No build sheet under the back seat though. Someone had also adjusted the idle screws on the Q-Jet all the way in on one, and normal turns on the other. Apparently to make it sound like it had a cam when idling. When I even it out, I found a intermittent hissing in the right exhaust pipe? Leaking/bent valve maybe?

rootboy 

No pics unfortunately. I drove a '57 VW bus for many years. Bought it used in 1970 as I remember. Split windshield. 1500 engine. Top speed? 58 mph. Downhill.
It had a nice custom interior, with ice box, platform bed, and parquet wood floor.

jbchybridrider 

I use to lust over these VW's... well actually still do mostly the twin cab ute but when it comes to reliability driveability on and off road I'll stick with my 94 L400. Had this one for 10 years and also have a L300 for 18 years. Done a lot of traveling in these.