The Boring Malibu

Better not look in the mirror!

A friend got a really nice car recently. He grew up in a family that didn't have a car, and went thru the usual older ragamuffin transport most of his life.
He was talking about how he now had a dream car and was understandably proud.
I said to him "You remember when we were young and saw the cool cars being driven by some old fart? That's you now." He took it well.

 

I’ve had more than a few new ones and quite a few really nice vehicles that were a year or two old but for the last fifteen years I’ve been driving the same vehicle. The best thing is that it’s worth the same today as it was five years ago…
Me, I’m broken down and out of gas…

 

What that old Chevy needs is in the Jeep!

 

It might be worth the same number after the sign, but it's LESS value. Currency is dropping.
Hang in there, oldiron.

 

Yes....back in about 1984 I found a bright red 1976 station wagon in a dealers wholesale lot. Dealer not sure why it was leaking oil and smoking......because the oil fill cap was missing and replaced by a wadded up shop towel !! Bought it and put a little work into it.....was very good beater and daily driver for my wife while we were in Detroit and I did NOT want her in a nice car for all the obvious reasons.

 

Had a '76 two door. Bought it off the "Doggie Lot" for $600 for a beater work car around '84-5. Had a set of rallys on it, 305/350. Had the dreaded cam tick the day I bought it, and the day I sold it 2yrs later. Actually was a decent beater. I kept the rallys. I still say cut the roof off & do the Gleason/Buford T. Justice thing......

 

A buddy of mine has one, since around 1984. It is battered, but very reliable. He drives it over incredible distances on road trips.

 

Can't be many of those left running. Looks like fun!
My older brother had a really nice '73 SS, 454, 4 speed , Cragars, dark blue metallic.....I lusted over it as a teen

 

Drove to Bisbee yesterday as the sun was going down. It's the first out of town drive I make with most of my "new" old cars. Stopped by Jay Allen's to get a picture, and I always try to get his 39 Chevy in the frame. I sold him that car in 1994. He's had it repainted 3 different colors since then.



And stopped by the Lavender Pit for a few pictures.



It was a boring drive, the car worked just fine. I put the new radiator in yesterday, and now I'm used to the gas gage reading backwards.

 

This late model car stuff is almost no fun.

 

Another obscure movie reference.
Land speed record truck, final prep. A handwritten tape label on an instrument is peeled off, flipped and stuck back on.

 

Didn’t the Edsel’s fuel gauge work backwards as well?

 

yes it does. I detect a theme here....

 

Could be worse. My brand new sender in the 53 is junk. Pegs the gauge no matter what. And I tested my new steward Warner fuel gauge and it's good. So I'll have to drop the tank lol

 

Hmmm

 

You mean the fuel guage reads backwards because his gl***es are upside down. Huh
Dan

 

I'm curious if the cam is getting soft too. My 78 caprice had that issue. When my family bought the car in 1998 with 90k-ish miles the th350 was already rebuilt for the second time. The car had a lifter tick for years before the cam flattened. That car also had better than 2.73 gears, it had 2.41 gears

 

Mine still has a tick, I'll do more investigating, and see if they're all opening all the way.