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Can we have a Yank thread?


The Reverend Bluejeans

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Well this had to happen, didn't it?

Huggy might be For Sale now, but he's been a delight for two years and attracted attention wherever he goes.  I find that, especially with the bigger cars.  I've had all sizes, from three full-size Cadillacs down to a Chrysler leBaron that was no bigger than a Vauxhall Omega.  And I'm very happy to drive any of them on a daily basis.  Yes even the big thirsty ones; it's just a question of priorities.  I'd probably drive nothing else if I had enough money.  Nothing else comes close, especially to the big stuff.

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There's plenty of Americana I could own, if I put half a mind to it.  Most of it is a bit samey to me now, I feel like my tastes have matured... or festered.  I'd probably pick something from the Nash, AMC, or Studebaker stables.

 

I like the Pinto, and thought I'd be happy with one, until that day I first laid eyes on the Matador.  It's like a Pinto that doesn't give a crap about what you or anyone else thinks.  The styling is at best 'divisive' and I love it for it.

071116-Barn-Finds-1978-AMC-Matador-Barce

 

I'd also quite like a Matador wagon, because they look even worse than the coupe.

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To complete my AMC set, I'd rather like an Ambassador in two door hardtop with stacklights and metallic green paint.  White vinyl roof and matching interior a bonus.

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For my next collection, I'd rather like a fifties Nash Airflyte Ambassador.  Ideally in four door and a subtle colour, like this one.

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I'd also really like a Nash Ambassador Custom, again in four door.  This time it has to be a factory pink or green multi-tone car.  This one would be lovely.

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To complete this group I'd finish off with a little runabout.  A Metropolitan in yellow and white, please.

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Finally, for the Studebaker wing of my imaginary garage, we'd have to kick things off with a Commander.  I'd prefer a very low spec, small engine, column shift.  Ideally in a colour that looked sunbleached from new too.  In fact, the one on Corvetteben's Youtube channel was my idea of a perfect Commander it was a lot like this one.

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The other I'd like you can blame Lesney for, and this is predictably enough the Lark wagon.

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I'd complete the set with a K10 truck.  Not trussed up for show, it would be tidy and clean with the occasional bit of use related wear and tear.  A good honest old truck.  These are one of the best looking trucks of the period imho.

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Back in 1999 I had a summer job in North Carolina, and on the retail park where I was working there was an early gold Studebaker Avanti.  I used to just stand and stare at it for ages at a time.  Amazing piece of design.

 

I agree that full-size Yanks can be a bit of a handful on UK roads (the only one I've had that was manageable was the '76 LTD wagon, which had an extraordinarily good turning circle which helped negate its vastness), but I found my '76 Seville to be perfectly manageable, whilst being big enough and vee-eighty enough to feel like a proper Yank.  Correct wheel drive too, unlike the later Bustleback horrors.

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I love American stuff! There’s nothing like them.

My favourite is the 60’s and early 70’s cars, from the era of ‘make it supersize’. The styling on them is just perfect imho and replicated by everyone else around the world but in miniature.

 

Heres mine, from just before all the smog crap came in!

 

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Land yachts are for winners!

They’ve got a lot to offer though really, you get all the grunt of a muscle car (more in many cases!) mines got a 7.0 big block truck engine in it for example! At a fraction of the cost of a muscle car, plus, they’re much more unusual and they stand out because of that. Performance wise, they’re fine. They don’t do corners terribly well at speed but who cares!? In a straight line they’re fantastic!

Mine is perfectly civilised when being ‘babied’ around. It’s quiet and incredibly refined and comfortable in a way no other car can manage. But if you want to get a shift on stamp on the gas and it’ll spin the rear wheels with ease (watch your hub caps though!) and lift the front end as it takes off. It’s surprisingly fast too and the sound of the V8 is unbeatable. It’s big too! It’s got great road presence and never fails to draw positive attention.

It’s well equipped too, power windows and locks all round, cruise, A/C, power seats etc etc. You’d be very hard pushed to find anything from outside the states with stuff like that at the time...

 

The downsides are pretty obvious! Fuel economy is poor, I can get single figure mpg if booting it! But that’s not why you buy cars like this! It really doesn’t matter!

The size can be problematic at times. Mines roughly the size of a LWB Sprinter van so parking space needs careful consideration and it’ll fill a normal lane. Tight bends are easy but you do need to watch what your doing, much like you do if driving a big van really. Tbh, that’s probably the best way to think about driving them, think of it as a big van.

Realistically though they’re toys not daily drivers (though Mr Ramrod will prove that’s possible I’m sure!).

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There's plenty of Americana I could own, if I put half a mind to it.  Most of it is a bit samey to me now, I feel like my tastes have matured... or festered.  I'd probably pick something from the Nash, AMC, or Studebaker stables.

 

I like the Pinto, and thought I'd be happy with one, until that day I first laid eyes on the Matador.  It's like a Pinto that doesn't give a crap about what you or anyone else thinks.  The styling is at best 'divisive' and I love it for it.

071116-Barn-Finds-1978-AMC-Matador-Barce

 

I'd also quite like a Matador wagon, because they look even worse than the coupe.

matador2-800x538.jpg

 

To complete my AMC set, I'd rather like an Ambassador in two door hardtop with stacklights and metallic green paint.  White vinyl roof and matching interior a bonus.

17248_126xrs1.jpg

 

For my next collection, I'd rather like a fifties Nash Airflyte Ambassador.  Ideally in four door and a subtle colour, like this one.

dorset-wedding-cars-hire-800x450.jpg

 

I'd also really like a Nash Ambassador Custom, again in four door.  This time it has to be a factory pink or green multi-tone car.  This one would be lovely.

3812386589_c927783f55_b.jpg

 

To complete this group I'd finish off with a little runabout.  A Metropolitan in yellow and white, please.

peeps_57nashmetropolitain-1.jpg

 

Finally, for the Studebaker wing of my imaginary garage, we'd have to kick things off with a Commander.  I'd prefer a very low spec, small engine, column shift.  Ideally in a colour that looked sunbleached from new too.  In fact, the one on Corvetteben's Youtube channel was my idea of a perfect Commander it was a lot like this one.

111696610.jpg

 

The other I'd like you can blame Lesney for, and this is predictably enough the Lark wagon.

stude-2.jpg

 

I'd complete the set with a K10 truck.  Not trussed up for show, it would be tidy and clean with the occasional bit of use related wear and tear.  A good honest old truck.  These are one of the best looking trucks of the period imho.

42k15fire2.jpg

 

 

We hired one of these Bad Boys in 1982 in the US, 6 cylinder, about 78 bhp at the spare wheel and thoroughly awful.

 

I can recommend one to you.  :-D

 

 

 

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Ref owning Yanks.........I've had a few, and what they all share in common is the ability to waft..........along with the feeling that you're piloting something that feels unstoppable.Most of them aren't that quick, but that lovely swell of torque is addictive. Fuel consumption varies between epically shite and borderline acceptable, and varies hugely [ as low as 7 mpg] round town, to 30 plus on a run. None of this matters as much as the feeling that you've "bucked the system"......and if you can drive a l.w.b van, American stuff should be a doddle.

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I'm sure Herr Junk will have something to contribute!  A 1960 Buick (shown above by Carlo) was his first car!  I particularly love the finned designs of about 1957-60, from all the big makers.  That's the era of the four-door pillarless sedan, my favourite style.

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This is the one of my 3 that actually works. I have a had a lot of fun with it over the years. The engine is a bit like the 2.4 in a mk2 Jag - it’s the smallest (V8) they did and everyone makes performance and other parts for the larger ones. It’s a weedy 4.7 litre job with a 2 barrel carb. Quite sprightly off the line though and torquey too. Electric roof and windows, massively power assisted steering and brakes.

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Had the horn for a Yank as long as I can remember, ideally for me a late sixties four door sedan like a Plymouth Satellite or Dodge Polara. The sort of thing you see as the cop car in countless period films but not in that livery. Vinyl bench seats, column shift automatic and capable of fifty foot one wheel burnouts.

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One of these please. The boat has sailed in respect of muscle cars.

 

 

White Lightning, a great film.

 

A '72 Galaxie with an extra trim package by the looks of it - the side strips. Not an LTD but close enough. Made by the million, and almost none left now.

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I have been spoiled for American cars because Mr6C has worked in the States a couple of times and I have a friend who likes and has Yank cars.

 

The states were 1997 and into 1998 and the whole of 2002 & 2003, when I visited Mrs6C I drove rentals cars and in spite of just visiting I drove over 50,000 miles in the USA and had a Texas drivers license, test passed and everything. They included Cheverolet Corsica, Chrysler Sebring convertibles, LHSs, 300C, Concorde, Buick Regal. I also used to borrowed a friend’s Tahoe.

 

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My UK friend who likes yanks has given me the run of his cars so I have got to drive:

 

1964 Galaxie 500 coupe

1971 Corvette

1989 Mustang 5.0 V8 manual

2017 Mustang V8 manual

 

 

The best being when he bought the 1964 Galaxie he was planning a move from Scotland to Devon and said he could only buy it if I looked after it! Well I had the use of it for a year before he reclaimed it.  

 

He was living in Devon when he bought the Corvette and the seller would deliver it to Buckingham but not Devon. So he fell under house rules, if you want to put it on my drive it must work and you give your consent for me to use it! Only a week this time before he reclaimed it.

 

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Ignoring the unrealistic dreams I have like a 1971 Camaro Z28 with Rally sport front, I do feel the need of a Yank tank of my own.

 

I would like a 4th Gen Mustang 5.0 V8 auto.

 

I think this may have been from when one of Mrs6C work colleges had a 1994 Cobra and I also remember being taken out in a convertible thinking how nice it was.

 

The other I would like is a bit left field, who would love a 10th Gen Thunderbird, well I do. Must be V8 and again drawn to my attention because Mrs6C had a work college with one in the States. 3 years ago I went to view one with a friend and it was a bit neglected so he did not buy it, I should have stepped in it was no money.

 

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I owned a Challenger for a bit, a '72 318 Rallye. Wanted one since I was 4, and loved it, but always wanted a white '70. Sold the '72 then prices just went mental., more than tripled in a short time. Have owned a few yanks, but have to say I love pickups. Not the double cab Dodge Ram's you see now and again but a proper SWB 1 ton 4x4 late 70's GMC or Chevy. Had a '77 Dodge D100 with a built 400ci which flew and probably even prefereed it to the Challenger, but the body was a bit ropey. Smoking the tyres everywhere was a giggle, but 6MPG wasn't. Had an Iron Duke Fiero , 4 cyl 2.5 with....... 95hp.  My X1/9 had only 10 less with 1000cc less and was twice the car, although the Fiero looked the business. '78 Chevy Caprice too which was a bit meh. 305ci but gutless ..

 

Still have a hankering for a "fall guy" GMC, and bucket list is an IROC Camaro, a '77 Trans am and a '78 Lincoln Continental, Bill Blass edition. Prices are getting a little out of hand though.

 

Pickup pic is on a proper picture... , it was that long ago. I paid £400 for it.

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