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Help! What classic car is this grill from?

26 messages,  Last post on Mar 16, 2012 at 6:50 PM

You are in the Classic Cars Forum.

What is this discussion about? Classic Cars, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 3

#7 of 26 Re: Pic [Mr_Shiftright] by andre1969

Feb 17, 2011 (9:15 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Feb 17, 2011 8:52 am)
speaking of "mystery grilles", is anybody familiar with the big, blue "MOTOR" Auto Repair Manuals? My Granddad had a set of them spanning 1960-1976, although missing a year or two here and there. Each one actually went back 7 years though, so his set was good enough to cover 1953-76.
 
For model and year identification, they'd usually show a picture of the bumper and grille, although often they'd cut out the headlights, depending on how well-integrated they were.
 
As a little kid, I used to love looking through those books, at the pics of the grilles. With just the grille pictured, but not knowing what the rest of the car looked like, it left a lot to the imagination. For instance, I knew what a '58 Chevy looked like, as that was a common enough car, and I had a model of one. But I didn't know what a '58 Pontiac or Olds looked like, although just going by the grille pic in the book, I imagined they must have been gorgeous. Of course, once I got a little older, and saw a pic of what a '58 Pontiac or Olds really looked like, man was I disappointed!
 
Those books might have been what initially turned me on to the '57-58 DeSoto, as well. The bumper/grille combinations pictures were so sleek, simple, and futuristic...downright exotic looking. It really made me wonder what the rest of the car looked like. And, when I finally saw a picture of one, it was thankfully a different experience from the Olds and Pontiac!

#8 of 26 Re: Pic [andre1969] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Feb 17, 2011 (9:16 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Feb 17, 2011 9:15 am)
I have some of those books. They're really a great reference and I wouldn't part with them for anything.

#9 of 26 Re: Pic [andre1969] by fintail

Feb 17, 2011 (9:37 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Feb 17, 2011 9:15 am)
The old KBB and NADA guides I have from the 70s have a feature like that, also going back 7 years I think.
 
I think I had one of those MOTOR manuals picked up at a garage sale when I was younger, but probably got sold off when my mother cleared out the garage when I was in school. I know my paint chip collection vanished that way.

#10 of 26 Re: Pic [fintail] by fintail

Feb 17, 2011 (7:15 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 17, 2011 9:37 am)
Here's an example (excuse the dark pic) from a 1976 KBB...pretty neat
 

#11 of 26 Re: Pic [andre1969] by oldbearcat

Feb 17, 2011 (11:59 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Feb 17, 2011 9:15 am)
When I started shopping for an antique car, I ran across a guy at a local car show that had a 57 Olds Super 88 for sale, and, it was in my price range. My wife and I drove to his house to look at the car. It was in decent enough shape, but, needed a lot of restoration. Looking at it, I was struck by how grotesque looking it's styling appeared to me - not near as attactive as I remebered the earlier models being. I decided to pass on it, and, later found a 48 Chevrolet that appealed to me much more. The 48 is now in my garage.
 
Regards:
Oldbearcat

#12 of 26 Re: Pic [fintail] by lemko

Feb 18, 2011 (7:10 am)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 17, 2011 7:15 pm)
My Dad bought a NADA manual back around 1980 that had those line drawings. I thought it was pretty neat and I tried to duplicate the drawings in my notebook.

#13 of 26 Re: Pic [oldbearcat] by lemko

Feb 18, 2011 (7:13 am)

Replying to: oldbearcat (Feb 17, 2011 11:59 pm)
When I bought my first car, the dealership had a near mint 1958 Oldsmobile Super 88 four-door hardtop on the lot - white with a red roof and interior. I'd have loved to have had this as my first car, but he wanted $2,500 for it - a princely sum for a 16 year-old kid in 1981. Heck, I'd probably still have that car if I could've acquired it. Yeah, I know '58s are grotesque, but they're so ugly they're cool!

#14 of 26 Re: Pic [lemko] by andre1969

Feb 18, 2011 (7:45 am)

Replying to: lemko (Feb 18, 2011 7:13 am)
I think we saw a '58 Olds 4-door sedan at Carlisle one year, in a solid, medium blue metallic. I know most people would think that if you're gonna get a car like this, you might as well go all the way and get the wildest color combination available and just show off. But I thought the conservative blue color helped tone the car down, and make it fairly attractive.
 
If was gonna go for a GM "so ugly it's cool" in 1958, I think I'd seek out a Buick! I think the Olds is just too ugly and not cool enough, while the Pontiac just isn't that ugly. And I think a '58 Chevy or Caddy is actually pretty attractive.

#15 of 26 Re: Pic [andre1969] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Feb 18, 2011 (9:08 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Feb 18, 2011 7:45 am)
it's amazing how complex the grillwork was on those late 50s cars. Restoring them is no easy task.

#16 of 26 Re: Pic [Mr_Shiftright] by berri

Feb 18, 2011 (6:51 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Feb 18, 2011 9:08 am)
When I lived in Orlando some years back, someone who worked for Delta parked a top of the line blue 58 Buick (Limited maybe?) in the airport garage. I never saw as much chrome on a car - Harley Earl's last hurrah! I'm guessing on the road that thing reflected more sunlight than an American 727.
 
The manager of the Walgreen's down the way from my house had a 58 DeSoto 4 dr in a corral like color and white two tone.
 
Both of these cars were like 30 years old, but looked great and were actually daily drivers. Unfortunately, the humidity quickly kept me from thinking I was in California.

Messages Page 2 of 3

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