About roadio55

roadio55

I've been in this hobby for 50 years, but still am not mechanically inclined. Back in high school, I decided to go to college for engineering and become a car designer. That first round of college, far from home, was a disaster. I tried again, starting at the Community College, and earned my accounting degree. I took the calculus courses at that time and aced them. Who knows what could have been?

roadio55 · ‎06-04-2022

It seems to me that it all comes down to rarity. Less people bought wagons new than sedans, even in the 1960's. Many of them saw tough usage, so even less remain. That's why they now command a premium.

roadio55 · ‎10-03-2022

Perhaps the nose is flat, but it's not vertical! That would make it look like the original instead of trying to blend Beetle styling into the microbus package.

roadio55 · ‎14-02-2022

I loved the Robo Dog ad. I'm already intrigued by the EV6 and was enjoying the ad even before I found out the product. Arnold's ad was awful. They took so long to show the car that I didn't care anymore. Who the heck is Polestar? The Brothers ad was definitely the most moving.

roadio55 · ‎08-01-2022

I'm a big fan of oddballs, but the two Corvettes here are disappointing. The Avelate looks more like a Camaro, at least from the angle shown. The Martel appears to be an update of the modern Stutz Blackhawk, albeit with a Corvette roof. I'll take the Apollo or the Crossblade, thank you. Were there two alternate coffin-based Munster dragsters, one in the television series and another in the movie, "Munster Go Home"? I seem to remember seeing two different cars back in the day, in addition to the hearse.

roadio55 · ‎22-12-2021

How often does he change that wreath? I think perhaps only on Christmas each year and that's the only time he looks at the car. As for the dusty road, if that's where you live, that's where you drive. I know I saw another ad recently in which Dad's old car is restored as a surprise, and that one fit in a normal time slot. Happy Holidays, everybody!

roadio55 · ‎17-11-2021

I was recently pondering the question of whether Jack in the Box was the first to introduce a speaker to place your order ahead of the pick-up window. I wish they all would put a second menu further back so we can study it before reaching the microphone. Growing up on Long Island, we had Dairy Barns. You weren't actually inside the building but between two halves.

roadio55 · ‎15-11-2021

How does any prototype end up in someone else's barn? What became of Zwart and the Ascari operation?

roadio55 · ‎05-11-2021

I started my first full-time job in 1983 and bought my first new car in the fall of 1984 - a 1985 CRX. As stated, the only colors available were red, white and blue. I chose blue. I believe only three options were offered as well - automatic transmission, upgraded sound system, and air conditioning. I ordered the first two. I drove that car across country at least twice. I remember I could reach back from the driver's seat and touch the rear window! During a trip from NY to Las Vegas, my cassette tapes melted in the storage compartment on top of the dash. It was just the right size for four tapes. I sold it after ten years but wouldn't mind having another.

roadio55 · ‎12-09-2021

I don't know the last time I saw a Blazer with the fabric top. Did you have to choose between tops or was that an option you could add? I remember a character on "Petrocelli" driving his with no top at all. You do realize that most Price is Right contestants expect their prize to have an automatic transmission? The show does not cater to gearheads. As for California Emissions - after forty years, who cares? That might even bring a premium in the collector market as a rare option. Last year, I saw an Eagle for sale around here for sale. I'm not in the market, but I sure was tempted.

roadio55 · ‎24-07-2021

I just read the article on five upgrades you must have on your vintage vehicle. My first thought was, "Now all you need is a crate engine and you're ready to go." These folks leapfrogged over that step and created their own chassis. Where will it end? There have always been both purists and hotrodders in this hobby. I love my old cars for their quirks and challenges. I hope the vintage parts they're replacing are going back onto the market and not to the scrap yard. I've benefitted from that process in the past and know others who have done so as well.

roadio55 · ‎26-06-2021

When I was growing up in the early 1970's, we always referred to the Volvo 444 as the one that looked like a an old Ford. I had a neighbor who was restoring various Volvo's at that time. The Corvair and the NSU really made me do a double take.

roadio55 · ‎12-06-2021

I am intrigued. If I was in the market for a truck, or would consider buying a Ford, this would be music to my ears. If the Maverick name is ready for a reboot, is Comet poised for another round?

roadio55 · ‎11-06-2021

What model is in the photo with the woman leaning on the roof? I occasionally see one of those and don't know if it's a Karmann Ghia variant or some other type of VW. In the photo, the rear looks exactly like a Corvair. I never noticed that before. Wonderful history lesson!

roadio55 · ‎07-06-2021

Would someone inform Tom Cotter's neighbor that "Stagger Lee" is not "a Grateful Dead song". While they may have performed it, Lloyd Price had a #1 hit with it in 1959 and the song was written long before that.

roadio55 · ‎13-05-2021

I do appreciate the early neo-classics. After all, the Excalibur was originally designed by Brooks Stevens as the Studebaker SS. What I can't abide is someone who puts their Gazelle (apologies to Singer) in a car show and writes "1929 Mercedes" on the windshield card. Obviously, those kit cars are poor imitations of imitations. The first picture of the Mustang limousine makes it look like a flower car - enclosed front and open rear filled with flowers. It should follow the cute little Bantam hearse.

roadio55 · ‎11-05-2021

I grew up aware of the Harrah collection, but it was gone before I ever made it to Las Vegas. I always wondered how it just disappeared. Thank you!

roadio55 · ‎30-04-2021

My first thought was a stretched Datsun 240Z or 260Z. When I read "two-seater" I was trying to figure out what was behind the second pair of windows. I wonder if the prototype had better proportions than the 2+2. Apparently, the handling remained spectacular despite everything else being cobbled together. Too bad he didn't license the chassis to someone who could put it on the market.

roadio55 · ‎27-04-2021

I grew up in the era of Beetle conversions - Rolls, Ford and other front ends. Now here's a Subaru with a VW bus front end. How the world turns. I never would have imagined an auction for kei cars and K-cars. Twenty years ago I had a barber who collected Metro convertibles. At least they don't take up much space. I believe all Geo models became Chevy's when that line was dropped. Was it Geo or Saturn that caused Johnny Carson to quip, "Chevrolet and Toyota are collaborating on a new car to be called the Toyolet"?

roadio55 · ‎23-04-2021

I've always loved the first generation Monte Carlo. I consider it as stylish as the Continental Mark II or the 1964 Buick Riviera. A 454 would ne nice, but I'd buy one for the style, not the performance.

roadio55 · ‎15-04-2021

The opening mentions the Duster (Sundance) as an alternative last Plymouth. That would not be possible as the Shadow/Sundance was replaced by the Neon twins. I know because I leased a new 1994 Duster on Superbowl Sunday 1995. That model was no longer in production and the Neon was on the showroom floor. The dashboard said Sundance. The Duster name only appeared on the side decals. I tried to trade it for a Neon in 1997 but couldn't afford the lease buyout. Before I sold it in 2009 I had to replace the driver's door hinge as it had rusted out.

roadio55 · ‎17-03-2021

I love a story like this. I managed to hold onto my family heirloom. In 1967, my grandfather gave my mother his 1955 Studebaker President because the dealer wouldn't give him much in trade on a 1968 Skylark. In 1971, we went to Hershey and found out there was a club for folks like us and car shows became a lifestyle. I've had others since but The Great Scott is still in my driveway.

roadio55 · ‎01-03-2021

That lone Canadian doesn't look tired in the photos. I hope this is not its Last Chance.

roadio55 · ‎19-02-2021

All the talk of trucking songs reminded me of Garth Brooks' "Papa Loved Mama". Check it out if you're haven't already. An incredible animated video of cars and women is "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys. The song never mentions them but the art is all about hot rods. Meanwhile, I'll head out to my "Ol '55" courtesy of Tom Waits and The Eagles.

roadio55 · ‎17-02-2021

The article states, "none of which survive intact today." Does that mean there are one or more partial examples somewhere? Do any of the Greenfield bus bodies remain?

roadio55 · ‎16-02-2021

I recently came across the yellow Miura from Matchbox or Corgi my parents put in my Christmas stocking back in the '60's. It has a bull to display along with it. That's as close as I'll get to owning any Lambo.

roadio55 · ‎09-02-2021

I may be wrong, but I had the impression "We're coming, Norway" was meant to sound like "We're coming your way." I've never seen one of those Cadillacs on the road. I thought it was a concept vehicle. Bruce may be from Jersey, but his musical persona is Tom Joad. I was surprised to see who was wearing the hat and bandana. Then I realized he is the best icon to play that role.

roadio55 · ‎25-01-2021

I remember seeing a derelict bus similar to the one in the first picture on Long Island before I moved west in 1997. Yes, that area is part of Farmingdale. According to the article it's still sitting there. Amazing!

roadio55 · ‎09-01-2021

I love the Nash and it takes the weird crown for me. Just a few years ago I saw a derelict one sitting under a tree around here, but it has since disappeared. The Fiat is simply beautiful, only weird compared to other Fiats. The Mustero does absolutely nothing for me. I've seen many homebuilt Ranchero conversions of other cars - Studebaker Wagonaire, Pacer etc. so it's nothing special, even if it was built by a dealer. The Runge and the Cizeta are just two more low production supercars, like Koenigsegg. Nothing weird there, although I am intrigued by the V-16.

roadio55 · ‎07-01-2021

I've always loved the original Monte Carlo. Add a 454 and only my checkbook stands in the way.

roadio55 · ‎01-01-2021

These are all great suggestions. Reading and donating, check! Smoking? That's a low priority, but I do have some gaskets to be installed. Finding drives is easy once the car is running again. I would love to spend 30 minutes a week working on my car. If only I had a garage. I would like to tinker in private, not in my front yard. Perhaps having one built should be my resolution. I'll have to review my finances. I'm mechanically challenged but can turn a wrench with proper instruction. My current problem is electrical and I don't feel confident in tracing that. I was about to call my friend who is a master Studebaker mechanic and see if he can put me on his calendar for this year. I'll wait until tomorrow and offer him my stimulus check. He does it for the love, not the money, and so has yet to bill me for the last go-round. Good luck to all!

roadio55 · ‎30-12-2020

Regarding the question of other brands being revived, didn't the modern Bugatti start with someone buying rights to the name? I don't believe they have any other connection to the original family or company. Maybach may be in the same position. Aren't the current Triumph motorcycles also a badge acquired by a prior competitor?

roadio55 · ‎09-12-2020

If you click on any of the photos above, you can see more photos, including one of the dash. I wanted to see that too. They're also larger and you can see the bullet holes.

roadio55 · ‎08-12-2020

I fell in love with a silver XK120 in the early 1970's. It was immaculately restored and had the small windscreens. I was just a teenager but I went out and bought a shop manual, dreaming of the day when I would own one. I jumped right to that part of the article and when done scrolled slowly to the price. Alas, it was just a dream. I recently decided to step up and buy a new Jaguar (three syllables). That's as close to the legend as I can get without winning the lottery.

roadio55 · ‎26-11-2020

I've long had the fantasy of authentically restoring a 1932 Ford 3-window coupe just to assure that at least one was left intact. While I appreciate hot rods and rat rods, that model is so iconic I worry none will be left unmolested.

roadio55 · ‎07-11-2020

At first glance I thought it was a Paseo. I'm not surprised they share many components.

roadio55 · ‎09-10-2020

Please put captions under the photos. Most of the cars pictured predate any Saab's I've seen and I would like to match them with the text. I've always had a soft spot for Saabs and appreciate that they remained recognizable throughout their history.

roadio55 · ‎12-09-2020

There's a country road not far from home that I travel several times a year. My fantasy is to walk the entire ten miles and photograph the derelict cars I see there. The first caught my attention when the tarp tore over the passenger window. Over the years the entire tarp disappeared, revealing a 1953 or 1954 Chevy sedan. There is also a postwar Pontiac two door with that beautiful fastback shape and a 1957 Ford hardtop. Someone keeps the headlights burning on an early 1920's touring car with seasonal character balloons taking a ride. Now I must follow Dieter's lead. By the way, I see three Saabs under the Austin in that Swedish forest. I wish I could afford to resurrect just one such car. I can't believe Michael bought fifty cars just to let them rot. Neglect by design saddens me.

roadio55 · ‎01-08-2020

How did the Leno bike sell for no more than the other bikes? Isn't it still worth a premium for its provenance? I also can't believe a 1911 Indian is almost affordable. There were no Beemers on this list because there may have been none in this auction. Please read the title of the article.

roadio55 · ‎01-08-2020

Those FIAT's are truly ugly. The 1100 grille would look at home on a later Pontiac. You need to give Michelotti an article of his own to redeem his reputation. The Edwards is a contender, but the grille on that particular car looks somewhat misshapen. I too would take the Force 1 if given the choice.

roadio55 · ‎20-07-2020

I just had to check out the parking lot photo. In the row on the left, after the Cadillac, are a Kaiser, a Hudson and a Studebaker.

roadio55 · ‎18-07-2020

I left for college in 1976 fantasizing about the Celica as my college car. That did not happen. By graduation, I had a friend with a Mach 1. He would park next to my 1956 Studebaker President 2-dr. near the entrance to the campus. Coolness! I don't see any scallops on that Mustang. When I told my friends I was buying a new car in 2006, they asked if it was "the PT or the Chevy". It was the HHR (Heritage High Roof).

roadio55 · ‎17-07-2020

How could all of these be listed ahead of the "cyclops" speedometer Studebaker introduced in 1956? The vertical needle was fixed in front of numbers on a revolving horizontal wheel. As with some of the others, the numbers vary in color from green to red. The unit is in a pod on top of the dash and the cable needs occasional lubrication after a few decades of use.

roadio55 · ‎16-07-2020

E-types were my childhood fantasies. In my teens I saw an XK-120 and started saving my pennies. Dream on! Looking at these choices, I fell in love with the Alfa. That is something I've never said before.

roadio55 · ‎26-06-2020

The body and paint are original. The condition is not.

roadio55 · ‎06-06-2020

I went through this with my 1956 Studebaker. After at least a year of trips to the local veteran mechanic did not solve my starting problem I replaced the spark plug and coil wires myself. A good friend and Studebaker specialist who had had the distributor rebuilt came to my home to troubleshoot. We were at the end of our rope when I came across a spare condenser in the glove compartment. He put it in and that was that! I think the old one is still on the roof where he threw it. Because he had replaced the points and condenser before the distributor rebuild he had not revisited them. The cheapest part can make all the difference.

roadio55 · ‎03-05-2020

Insects, birds and reptiles are all members of the animal kingdom. Even if the Mustang was named after the plane it still carries the name of a horse. Minx is not an animal but Manx (Meyers) is. No one mentioned the Packard Panther but I'm glad I'm not the only one to remember the Singer Gazelle.

roadio55 · ‎16-04-2020

My neighbor down the street just cruised by in his 1965 GTO. He rotates his collector cars which include a 1962 Corvette, a 1967 Safari wagon and two Comets, a 1964 and a Maverick-based version. Across the street from him is a second generation Mustang. In other parts of town I have stumbled across a 1949 Frazer, a 1948 DeSoto, a 1951 Chrysler, a 1967 Chevelle, and a pair of 1959 Impalas. Those last six have all been neglected for many years, which is why I keep buying lottery tickets.