Show me a nice old car

"GTO" has always struck me as a phony moniker as applied here. It's an Italian-language acronym for a racing class: Gran Turismo Omologato. Cars may carry that designation to indicate they compete in that class of racing. This Pontiac Tempest model adopted that designation for marketing purposes and in no way resembles a real GTO. And, it's a variation on the Pontiac LeMans model, there again raising a notional racing connection while GM internally had banned racing! :)
 
Baby Rolleiflex, Ilford Delta 100, Rodinal 1:50

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The one that almost got away. I was facing the opposite direction looking at the ocean. I heard the distinctive engine of this car and spun around and grabbed this shot as he sped off down the road. If you zoom in you'll see there's some motion blur but not enough I think to spoil the picture.

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Sony A7III
Sigma 65mm f2 DG DN "Contemporary" lens
Miura Beach, Japan - August 2021
*Image resized smaller than original

Mike
 
One of the very few pictures I have of my '65 TBird (why I didn't take more photos of it, I'll never know!). You can't tell in this photo, but it was dark metallic green (I can't recall the Ford name for this colour, might be Ivy Green). This photo shows it after I went, well, let's just say a bit overboard. Moon Equipped Starburst aluminum discs, working lake pipes on the sides (which I kept open just a bit), Smithy's glaspacs out the back (so 'quad' exhaust, if you will). Yeah it made just a bit of noise - neighbours loved it.

The thing I loved most about the car was the interior - it was Ivy Gold, and the back seat was like a cocktail lounge banquette. Curved, tuck and roll upholstery -- very Las Vegas. You could just picture Frank and Dino sitting back there, throwing back martinis and talking about 'broads'.


Tbird2 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr

BTW my '63 Falcon is in the driveway -- at one point these were the only cars I owned, so they were in effect my 'daily drivers'. In the snow, rain, long road trips, you name it, I drove both of these cars. Put about 55,000 on the TBird, 100,000 on the Falcon. Wish I still had the Falcon -- glad the TBird is gone.
 
Vince Lupo said:
One of the very few pictures I have of my '65 TBird (why I didn't take more photos of it, I'll never know!). You can't tell in this photo, but it was dark metallic green (I can't recall the Ford name for this colour, might be Ivy Green). This photo shows it after I went, well, let's just say a bit overboard. Moon Equipped Starburst aluminum discs, working lake pipes on the sides (which I kept open just a bit), Smithy's glaspacs out the back (so 'quad' exhaust, if you will). Yeah it made just a bit of noise - neighbours loved it.

The thing I loved most about the car was the interior - it was Ivy Gold, and the back seat was like a cocktail lounge banquette. Curved, tuck and roll upholstery -- very Las Vegas. You could just picture Frank and Dino sitting back there, throwing back martinis and talking about 'broads'.


Tbird2 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr

BTW my '63 Falcon is in the driveway -- at one point these were the only cars I owned, so they were in effect my 'daily drivers'. In the snow, rain, long road trips, you name it, I drove both of these cars. Put about 55,000 on the TBird, 100,000 on the Falcon. Wish I still had the Falcon -- glad the TBird is gone.
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I think that Ford may have called that "British Racing Green".
 
besk said:
"Wish I still had the Falcon -- glad the TBird is gone." I agree with your feelings.
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Having driven both of those fairly extensively, I’d agree with your agreeing. I still occasionally consider getting a ‘63 or ‘64 Falcon, as weird as that sounds.
Honest cars.
 
Larry Cloetta said:
Having driven both of those fairly extensively, I’d agree with your agreeing. I still occasionally consider getting a ‘63 or ‘64 Falcon, as weird as that sounds.
Honest cars.
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My '63 was a bone-stock sedan with a 144 and a two-speed Fordomatic, built in Metuchen, NJ. It took me everywhere and was utterly reliable. I think because it had so few features (it even had the radio delete when I got it) that there was little to go wrong. I had the engine and transmission rebuilt and even had the driveshaft balanced, and I did end up having an AM radio installed with an RCA 45rpm record player. I bought it with 73,000 original miles and sold it with about 175,000 miles.

Should have put the money into fixing it up instead of selling it and buying the problem child that was a 1980 Checker Marathon. Ah well, live and learn.


Falcon1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr


Falcon5 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr


Falcon18 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr


Falcon11 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
Thanks, Vince, brings back memories, though I had in mind one a bit more upmarket, with three on the tree, I guess that’s downmarket, and a bit more engine. I always loved the dash on those, nothing but gently curved metal (“Watch your head, kids!”). Though with the drum brakes you couldn’t panic stop fast enough to make anyone jostle around enough to hit anything.
Dated a girl once in the late Sixties, who had a Sixties Checker Marathon, that being before they were a thing. Red flag.
 
Doug said:
"GTO" has always struck me as a phony moniker as applied here. It's an Italian-language acronym for a racing class: Gran Turismo Omologato. Cars may carry that designation to indicate they compete in that class of racing. This Pontiac Tempest model adopted that designation for marketing purposes and in no way resembles a real GTO. And, it's a variation on the Pontiac LeMans model, there again raising a notional racing connection while GM internally had banned racing! :)
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Doug, don’t be too hard on the original Pontiac GTO. Unlike the Ferrari GTO from whom the name and aura was stolen/borrowed, it was cheap, available and had more power, 348 hp from the 3 x2 barrel Tri-Power 389 vs. 296 in the 3 liter Ferrari. The Tempest GTO package was the first “muscle car”, cheap and cheerful, and capable of smoking through dad’s rear tire budget in a matter of weeks. Literally. Just drop the clutch and grin while looking in the rear view at the blue smoke.
And yes, I can recall all that from memory. What I had for lunch today, not so much. Some obsessions you never get over.
 
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Fujifilm X-H1
Fujinon XF 56mm f1.2 R lens
Classic Chrome film simulation
Miura City, Japan - August 2021
*Image resized smaller than original

Mike
 
davidswiss said:
Yes it's a jag. Post war so not SS. They made them in 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 versions with the same body.
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Thanks; the trouble with just post war is that a lot of them were pre-war rehashed slightly as recovery took place slowly and supplies were scarce.

Also it was a grab shot as you can see from the fuzzy mascot but at airshows most shots are grabbed as they like to surprise you and there's always idiots wandering into frame or standing up suddenly in front of you.

Regards, David
 
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