The classics stole the show.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Over the holiday weekend I went to the SD international auto show that had hundreds of the latest vehicles on display. They also had an area where it was only classic cars, including a '34 Packard and 1920 Cadillac, a '75 Eldorado, '59 Cadillac CDV, a '55 Fleetwood and few other random cars.

In person these cars are gorgeous ,overwhelmingly stunning, especially next to the modern equivalent. I saw so many people in aw and taking a lot of photos of the many different classic cars at the show vs the new stuff that was on display. I did find some new vehicles pretty nice, but for the most part, they don't capture my interest or imagination like old cars do.


I think it goes back to the over use of plastic materials in them all that seriously turns me off. Real chrome trim inside and out of the classic cars, really gives you a sense high quality look and feel, including durability.

For instance I sat inside both a new Lexus ES350 and a Camry. Both cars share the same platform, drivetrain and close dimensions.

The Lexus did feel and look nicer inside but what got me upset, and this goes for other luxury makes, is why can't any of them use softly padded lower door panels, or padded vinyl in areas that you can't see?

They are all hard plastics, for the
money you'd think the automakers would just add some nice vinyl padding to help avoid those nasty scratches you get on the lower door cards from exiting the car, but no.

They sure were pushing EV's onto the crowd big time, but again, if you don't own a house with a garage and a level 2 charger, they are not feasible to own.

Styling is always subjective, but so many of the new stuff is starting to look like a a cross between a squinting eyed angry man up front and a cyborg, it just doesn't make any sense anymore the way vehicle design is turning out these days.

It was great seeing little kids shocked to see the old cars, how they were pointing them out to their parents, it was nice to see that and gives me hope that as these kids get older, they might be inspired to own one some day.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

I think its cool an auto trade show had classics there. Wonder how many average folks never knew these cars could be seen somewhere, could be new 'car show' attendees in the future. 

Cars haven't had 'style' for decades, they're all trying to get 100mpg, they'd use paper machete for body panels if they could.

EVs are still a solution in search of a problem. My last Uber was a brand new Tesla. volts/gas = I get better mileage with The Ark at 9mpg.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

All the new stuff that was on display sure looked nice and shiny, but unfortunately most people that were there didn't realize how disposable they are.

Laurie, they're are a few classic car organizations including the SD auto museum that hosted all the classic cars at the show. It is cool seeing some old stuff mixed in with the new stuff. They even had the SD police association that brought out a few of there vintage cop cars that was actually in use at one point in time. Of course they had an 80's Crown Vic, but they also had a 40's something Plymouth cop car, and Dodge cop car from the 50's that were all in great shape for their age and use.

One thing I will say about EV's is how fast off the line they are. The instant torque they provide is scary fast. But on the other hand, they consistently have be plugged in just to go anywhere and some of ranges on these things is seriously laughable. 150-200 miles on one car I saw was ridiculous. It takes 40 mins to charge 80% on a supercharger on this one Nissan, and like 12 hours for a full charge on a level 2 charger at home. Talk about a huge inconvenience.

I wonder how the automakers are able to build unibody's strong enough to be able to handle the massive weight of those batteries, not including passengers and luggage. The body structure has to be massively reinforced.

Yes, cars today especially sedans just don't look right. The body panels have become heavily creased and dented looking. Plus that solidarity of the way the doors, hood and trunk closes has been lost for decades as well. Actually when the traditionally styled American cars went away towards the more aero styled look starting in the 90's, is when things just didn't feel the same.

One example is how solid my '87 Brougham felt in every way from the heavy doors, and hood, compared to the cheaply made modernized 94 Fleetwood Brougham. Great driving and powerful car, but it lost that old school traditional build quality of Cadillacs from the past.

[billyoung]

I am 69 and I drive a 2003 Chevy S10 5 speed standard I bought for $2,500.00 about 8 months ago as a work commuter vehicle. My Wife Suzanne now drives a 68,000 mile 1992 Brougham and I am now assembling my 1968 DeVille convertible after a repaint. My intention is we will never buy another car. The idea of buying a new car would be like buying a new toilet. You only replace the old one if you are forced to and then you buy the cheapest one you can as they all look the same. The major difference is a toilet only comes in white like most new cars however there are a few more colors on the cars exterior, As far as interior's go, hope you like black or dark gray.

[59-in-pieces]

I don't know, but I fear one good EMP - Electro Magnetic Pulse - and we are all on foot.

Except maybe those who have a classic car.
Oh, but wait.
If the government has its way, there wont be any fossil fuel gas, and we all will be on foot.

Oh I know what you're thinking, I'll go all Jay Leno and drive a steam car.
But wait again, no coal or natural gas for a fire to boil water, back on foot.

Hey my Amish friend, have a horse I can Barrow.

Have fun,
Steve B.

PS
I can still hear my Dad when he bought his 1965 Cad off the "Motorama" floor, after the show.
Dammit to hell, these new plastic cars.

[James Landi]

Steve,

Knowing how you have a great sense of irony, I copied this headline about a fact that no one mentions for your viewing pleasure and entertainment as most folks don't traffic in factual information, lol,  James

''U.S. oil production hit a record under Biden. He seldom mentions it.''

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

''U.S. oil production hit a record under Biden. He seldom mentions it.''

baby oil or corn oil?

[bcroe]

I get better mileage with The Ark at 9mpg. 

More concern to me would be if it needs the highest
possible octane gas, as some of my cars did.  Now my
engines are big enough, but are perfectly happy with
crap 87 unleaded.  Did they do a lower compression
engine build?

Mileage is 0 sitting at a light, but the Ark might
be capable of 14 within the speed limit.  The blue
car here is 4/5 the weight of the Ark, just as fast,
gets 19mpg at 70mph (in favorable conditions) on 87. 
Bruce Roe

[z3skybolt]

The USA has been energy independent for several years.  Unfortunately, it all gets combined into one big world wide pool.  But it does help keep the per barrel price down.  Also nice to know that "push comes to shove".....we can produce more oil than our nation consumes. It is a good thing for the USA no matter who sits in the White House.

Bob R.

 

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

The USA has been energy independent for several years.
Bob R.

 

So, why am I still paying twice as much for gas than I did in the late 'teens and three times
as much for natural gas since then? Basic economics - everything I buy is more expensive because
everything travels by truck and I have to absorb their fuel prices as well.

[James Landi]

Hi Laurie,

Adjusted for inflation, the present retail cost per gallon of gas has hardly increased over 50 years.  If you Google the cost of gasoline in 60's at 40 cents a gallon and then Google how much is that 40 cents worth in today's money, you'll see  what I mean.  When I was making $1.00 an hour back in the day, that 40 cent gasoline seemed relatively expensive. I started teaching in 1967, with an annual salary of $5,700 -- adjusted for inflation, that's about $57,000 in today's money... when high test gas was 40 cents a gallon, and you could buy a house for 20k. Fortunately for us Americans, our dollar remains the strongest world currency, so our buying power and increasing wages help us adjust for inflation.  As I've said before, gasoline is a ''rounding error'' in the cost of owning a car-- automobile ownership is the second most expensive possession we own (house is number one). James

[z3skybolt]

Thanks James,

You provided the truth before I could respond to Laurie.  Folks often forget about inflation when comparing prices from the past. I have a picture of my 1951 Chevy at a gas station, in my hometown, taken in 1964.  It was a Gulf station and the price on the marque is 31.9 cents for regular. Gas in our community is now $2.52 for regular. As my old airline boss loved to say......"do the math"!

We are so spoiled in the nation, so richly blessed.  Where else can one run around in Cadillac and LaSalle getting 9 mpg and think it is all great fun?

Bob R.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Um, guys? I'm not talking about the price of gas 50-60 years ago compared to today...
I'm talking about the price of gas/energy, 4 years ago compared to today.

[59-in-pieces]

I can't believe how 1 post could go off the rails so fast.

The point is, if cars we are faced with buying by a government mandate (NO GAS CARS DRIVEN BY A DATE AND NO GAS CARS ARE MADE BY A DATE) what is out there to drive, they don't have or use gas - nothing but electric with all its vulnerability and toxic battery residues in storage.

Get out of the history books, and put down the phone calculators, we will all become (or our children) our own curators of our own little garage museums of the Standard of the World, gas combustion automobiles.

Have fun while we all can,
Steve B.

PS
I just checked, there are membership openings in the Prius Club.
Not that many members now, but it's likely to grow over time.
You always wanted to get into the next big thing, on the ground floor, well the time is here.

[dochawk]

I just checked, there are membership openings in the Prius Club.

the problem, of course, is that the club is full of Prius owners . . .
 

[James Landi]

According to recent data from the U.S. Department of Energy,, we visualize light-duty vehicle registrations in 2022, broken out by fuel type. It shows that out of the 281 million cars registered nationally, electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles represented only 1.2%.Nov 21, 2023

Yep---- the government is going to take our gasoline powered cars away...  All 281 million of them, and then supply us with long extension cords to power the EV's that most Americans can't afford or are entirely impractical --- I heard that somewhere...   

[billyoung]

From what I read the Electric Grid in the USA will not support a complete conversion to EV's. Second I am reading that Ford and GM have stopped EV production due to such low demand that they are piling up at dealerships ( no pun intended ). Third it is my understanding that the environmental waste in creating the EV Batteries not withstanding, the cost to equip ones home to charge one and the raised electric bill cost per month, not to mention the acquisition cost which is horrendous in my opinion and  personal economy makes them untenable . Finally I am hearing that the resale value of these EV's is zilch. All this seems to go together that the Government pushed EV phenomenon is a losing proposition that is destined for the scrap heap of history. One Mans Opinion.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

From what I read the Electric Grid in the USA will not support a complete conversion to EV's. Second I am reading that Ford and GM have stopped EV production due to such low demand that they are piling up at dealerships ( no pun intended ). Third it is my understanding that the environmental waste in creating the EV Batteries not withstanding, the cost to equip ones home to charge one and the raised electric bill cost per month, not to mention the acquisition cost which is horrendous in my opinion and  personal economy makes them untenable . Finally I am hearing that the resale value of these EV's is zilch. All this seems to go together that the Government pushed EV phenomenon is a losing proposition that is destined for the scrap heap of history. One Mans Opinion.

So true. I recently saw a video on YouTube of a guy that purchased a used 2018 Infiniti Hybrid and at around 80k miles, he needed a new hybrid battery.

Guess for how much?? About $20k!! He bought the car used for less than that which I find absolutely insane.

There's really nothing like firing up an old Cadillac V8, and knowing how smooth the engines are. EV's might have more power, but there's something about the mechanical sounds and slight vibrations that an engine makes which gives you a sense of satisfaction that an EV can never match.