Guilty Pleasures - Big American Boats

Although on this forum, we tend to gravatate towards European sports cars, I'm sure most of us have a soft spot for American iron of some type. Muscle cars are somewhat a given (I'm partial to Mopars), but how about big cruisers?

A couple of years ago, I read an article about the Pike Peak hillclimb which mentioned having a 'classic' class. The photo example was of a '49 Caddy fastback that was prepped for La Carrera Panamerica. I've been enamored with them ever since. That body style just looks so freakin' cool.

(that's a '41 I found on Hemmings for sale)

Of course, the lazy hot-rodder in me would want to drop in a new E-Rod crate motor with a 4 spd automatic and a/c, but I would otherwise leave it as stock-looking as possible.

Anyone else have a similar guilty pleasure?

If you promise to tell no one, I'll admit to dearly loving the ride and the surprisingly good handling of my aunt's early 70's Oldsmobile Delta 88.

I love the late 20s early 30s cars - we built cars that were best in the world. It would be tempting to do the hot rod thing with a 4-door 1936 buick roadmaster

"guilty pleasure" !!! fantastic... thats really what it is too! my current list o cars is mostly right for this forum but there is a 1958 chevy biscayne in the mix that just feels right to drive! its slow, ill handling and wont stop once its moving at all but i love it.... http://classicmotorsports.net/reader-rides/972/

Don't tell my British car buddies, but...

The first generation Olds Toronado and the top of the line '61 Chevy convertible (HAS to be the red and white color scheme) come to mind for me. Or maybe a '58 (IIRC) Ford Skyliner, the retractable. Modern radials and a bit firmer suspensions is all they would need.

Stu

Nope.

Zero interest in tanks unless it has a class III hitch and can carry 12 race tires plus a spare 1275.

Juan Manuel Fangio began his career racing a hot-rodded 1940 Chevy business coupe on mountain roads in his home country of Argentina. I’d love to have a replica of that car using a ’38, ‘39 or ’40 Chevy coupe as a basis, similar to the ’39 Fangio replica that won this year’s Peking to Paris rally.

http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/18484-peking-to-paris-wrap-up-chevrolet-dominates/

Pretty cool. What a great car to run a domestic vintage rally with!

I confess a weakness for the Ford LTD's and Lincolns of the early to mid 70's. I wouldn't want to have one necessarily, but I love to see them in great shape and on the road.

I like late '50's T-Birds, and late '30's, early '40's trucks. And I'd love a 1st gen Riviera.

Rats, I was waiting for one of these.

I have a 70 455 Wildcat survivor, it's a pleasure to drive around. I could almost fit the 911 in the trunk LOL.

I don't know where this is more appropriate, here or the best road trip ride forum. But the four wheeled boat I owned and loved was a '66 Jag MK-10 with the 4.2 triple carb. motor.

Room for a couple of caskets in the trunk. Plush & supportive leather seats that would fit well in a men's club library. Twin fuel tanks, so you don't have to worry as much about inferior fuel.

Of course in the US, the speed limits as so low, it is hard to stay out of jail driving any Jag. The cars you're passing tend to look like telephone poles on the side of the road.

Of course the floating 45' convertible sport-fisherman boat is a blast too. Just another medium.

In reply to stu67tiger:

While living in Southern California in the 60's, I found a boat was great out on the dessert, say when going to Vegas or Reno. My dessert boat was a '66 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 with tri-power & a "rock crusher" 4-speed.

Of course when staying in the mountains during winter I had to learn a trick about cold morning start-up. I learned to always back in and leave the gearbox in 2nd gear. Until the grease warmed up, there was no way to shift gears in that car when it was very cold!

blackrabbit wrote: "guilty pleasure" !!! fantastic... thats really what it is too! my current list o cars is mostly right for this forum but there is a 1958 chevy biscayne in the mix that just feels right to drive! its slow, ill handling and wont stop once its moving at all but i love it.... http://classicmotorsports.net/reader-rides/972/

The '58 Chevy doesn't get much respect, but I still dig them.

I was a hare's breath away from building one of these as a Challenger. I wouldn't be the fastest, wouldn't be the quickest at Auto-X but that trunk will hold about every tool I own!

Dan

Rad_Capz wrote: I have a 70 455 Wildcat survivor, it's a pleasure to drive around. I could almost fit the 911 in the trunk LOL.

You know, now that I see that picture, I think my grandparents had one when I was really young.

I would really love a 63 T-Bird. The bullet bird as they're called. Long, low, with a tall greenhouse. Done in a light resto-mod fashion. Sort of like this:

I'd want to drive it every day, but they get about 8 MPG!!

If I want a barge I'll still buy British. In fact I did, once. A Jaguar Mk 9. Good power, and 4 wheel discs in an era when even Corvettes were lumbering around with drums.

Sorry, I have zero taste for American cars unless they are sports cars - got two of them right now. Otherwise, American cars just make good tow cars.

I had a 1965 Ford Galaxy 4 door as a tow vehicle for my racing Spitfire MkIII in the early 1970's. My parents neighbor gave it to me for free which tells you how much of a beater it was, but I was trying to race and go to college at the same time so I really appreciated it. They were great big boats but the big engined 427's actually dominated British saloon car racing in the mid 60's, beating Jaguar sedans, Lotus Cortinas, Minis, etc.

KaptKaos wrote: I would really love a 63 T-Bird. The bullet bird as they're called. Long, low, with a tall greenhouse. Done in a light resto-mod fashion. Sort of like this: I'd want to drive it every day, but they get about 8 MPG!!

Back in my college days I had a '67 Cougar with a 390 4 speed. The best mpg I ever got was 11 or 12. It mostly got in the 6 to 8 mpg range. It was fun, but I couldn't afford to drive it, so I sold it and bought an MG.

There are several different barges that I've secretly lusted after over the years, but the one that remains stuck in my craw is the 64 Galaxie. In fact, make mine a wagon. What a great road trip/camping machine.

Bainford wrote: In fact, make mine a wagon. What a great road trip/camping machine.

Now we're talking! I grew up in the back of a '58 Voyager with a 430 and juke box drive. Been looking for one since I was ten years old.

Dan