AACA at Oakwood Park, Part 2
here are the rest of the cars I didn’t share with you all in the last post. Hope you enjoy!
On this surface, this just looks like a very well-maintened Volvo 240 station wagon. But check out the odometer. This car has covered 309,691 miles. The body wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty immaculate width=400 height=300for the mileage. This is really rolling proof to the statement “they don’t build them like they used to.” I can’t imagine a modern Ford-era Volvo going that far, at least on the original engine and transmission. In Sweden they call the 240 the Swedish Family Tractor. It might not be the most refined vehicle but they seem to hold up to aging better than most anything on the road. Neat.
This monster is a Cord 810 Phaeton. The Cord was an American car made in the ’20’s and 30’s. It was notable for being the first front-wheel-drive production car, before the Citroen Traction Avant. I’m particularly fond of the exhaust pipes coming out of the hood and then going through the fender. This is a menacing looking car. It’s got a 4.8L side-valve V8 that makes 125 horsepower, which was rather powerful by the standards of 1936. They also sold a supercharged version, with 170 horsepower, which is worth an obscene amount of money today. Can you imagine how difficult it must be to find parts for a car like this?
This was a very clean second-generation Corvette Convertible. The shape of these cars makes everything up until the C6 pale in comparison, in my opinion. Just beautiful. But check out what was parked next to it…
This is a true collector’s Corvette. 1963 Corvette Stingray, split window, fuel injected. Immaculate. This car is probably worth a quarter of a million in today’s depressed market. It would’ve been worth more in the past. Neat car.
This Datsun 260Z was almost clean enough to eat off of. For an old Japanese car, this one has really stood the test of time. What a fun car this must’ve been back in the day. Light, rear-wheel drive, 2.8L overhead cam fuel injected straight six, five speed trans. Perhaps it’s sacriledge but I think this is a sweet old car crying out for a really nasty modern engine - perhaps an RB25DET from a Skyline would fit?
This is a well-preserved old Plymouth Barracuda, a low-end model. Tiny steel wheels, single-carb slant-six, and that characteristic huge rear window.
Now that’s more like it! Nothing says “get out of the left lane” like a giant Chrysler New Yorker in your rear-view mirror.
This is a survivor of a Hudson Hornet here. Another one of those American marques that I really miss, along with Packard. Just such a neat car.
Antique car shows are quite an experience. It’s just funny that many people take better care of their 50-year-old cars than most people do of their 5-year old cars. With how disposable modern cars are, it makes me wonder if there are going to be any Antique Car Shows when I’m old.