balthazar

Chrome condition in above shots backs that up, vonveez. Wish it were the same deal around here.

^ You're not taking it back far enough. In other words; like there's any difference from a design impact standpoint between a --say-- 2005 and 1995.

Nice collection. I like B-60s but would never own one and betray the undying love I harbor for B-59s. For most, the hardcase love affairs fall in either/or camps. I have always liked P-59s, a ex-buddy had one. P-60s aren't bad, but as so low on Pontiac funkiness, I dunno if I would ever go for one. Maybe a nice Bonne coupe... Wonder why the pic-taker spent so much time fuzzin out the backgrounds...

I'm with Camino on the styling issue. I don't care for the eggcrate grillework of the '70-72 Chevy's, but the '68-69 grillework is sublime. And the bodylines ARE great in this generation. Otherwise, I would always lean toward GMC details.

^Ahhh- then kill the reflective requirement. It amazes me that-say- 60 yrs ago; signs had zero reflectivity & most cars had yellowed 6-volt headlights and it worked. Now we have super-white, LED, halogen/zenon/kyrptonite bulbs in headlights the size of loaf of bread yet we STILL need reflective street signs. It just goes on & on & on. Someday- normal cars will be illuminated like today's cop cars and street signs will be backlit AND broadcast their names thru your car audio... yet it STILL won't be enough.

Hey Rog- what ever happened with the '50s dump truck- did you end up passing on it ??

Friedman makes $300K/yr, plus $40K for speaking gigs- think $7/gal gas is going to pinch him any ??

Really nice because it's not a uber-dollar car- it's a nice showable cruiser. I note one c-pillar courtesy lamp is out. Don't care for the simple leather covering over where the TorqueFlite buttons were- would be MUCH better to maybe have re-purposed them and let that distinctive feature live on. I've been looking for a door-open shot of a '56 since remembering drooling over a '56 in a junkyard a few decades ago - I had distinctly recalled that 'DESOTO' sill nameplate as standing upright- assumedly so a passerby could read the marque name from the side (like a '56 DeS would be mistaken for something else), but here it's laying flat. Not completely sure that wasn't modified. Sweet car- and thankfully they kept the Hemi.

^ Note the emphasis since 'back then' to interior volume over actual dimensions, as if transporting inflated balloons was the focus of designing a car interior. Midleading... and typical trick to mask reality.

Saw a really pleasantly pleasant '64 Olds 88 station wagon, burgandy, crusing behind me a few miles. The big '60s wagons are 'hen's teeth' anymore.

The degree some of you are attributing to font's differences, at least the descriptors used, is ridiculous. Helvetica & Clearview are nearly identical; just some of the lower case 'round' characters, such as 'e', 'c', 's' are slightly more open in Clearview than Helvetica. Yes- that's slightly better for readability... if measured by calibrated scientific instruments and backed by dozens of controlled double-blind tests. My objection (if any) is that highway signage incorporates far too much letter spacing- that impedes legibility more than anything (there actually is no other 'anything'), but this too, struggles to reach 'minor' status. Understand- I am NOT saying change signage to Helvetica, I have no issues with it (or Clearview) besides the boredom from a design standpoint. My POV is- if these signs only last 10 years, switch them out as they age- do NOT replace a servicable sign with one in Clearview- there is NO measurable gain, just a monstrous waste of money. Too often, government is like a frightened chimp, locked inside a suitcase with a tiny hole in it, inside a 1958 Edsel traveling 90 MPH with no brakes, trying to steer with several broken toothpicks. In fact, this article's take-away for me is : these signs should last at least 25 years (power-coated AL, right??), not merely 10. THAT's where a greatly-improved sign makes sense... which is why Gov isn't bothering to look at it.

regfootball ~ >>"...and of course that falling character line started by the first decent altima started designers at every carmaker on that path of rising to a big fat ass on the rear."<< This is the first design where I noticed a 'stacking' front to rear to raise the level from the 1st thru the 3rd boxes in a sedan. Not the fender level > beltline > deck transition : Of course, more recent cars like the altima are comparatively very stubby, plus hood lines have dropped quite a bit; heightening this phenomena notably.

No one who wants to carry more than 2 people is going to buy the Coupe- it's a 2-pass car with a token rear seat. IMO.

>>"Everything I think of sounds like it came from a Life Magazine advertisement from 1959..."<< Yep- they did. I have no suggestions, and I didn't like anything suggested above.

Not that he's not a huge fan, but I'm just guessing the license plate didn't hurt. Kudos!

Passed a slowing car on the highway last night: lights were flickering & blinking off & on as it drifted over to the shoulder. Couldn't tell for sure if it was a crazed teenager or serious system malfunction. What I could tell was that... it was a Prius.

Turned my son onto it, now he's learning the guitar tab to it: Johnny Cash ~ When the Man Comes Around

"Excellent work!" ~Gilad How about a pic?

Meh- the Oaky is quite pedestrian for it's era, IMO, but if we're talking about the era in general, then I agree. C2 Corvette tho, you nailed. Completely unique then and ever since. While I am still wowwed by the C7 on the street, sometimes I wonder if the loose continuance of the '68 needs a major, C2-esque deviation.... but I'm not sure that such is possible in design anymore. Too many constrictions,where there were none for the C2. Interesting things to muse over in a hammock under a clear blue sky...

I don't remember seeing an Oakland before, tho I'm sure I did. But it was the untouched originality of it that was so spell-binding. I would drive it exactly as it is- and apparently the owner is doing just that- a buddy said he's seen it 4 or 5 years now.

I somewhat understand why the hoon-day is selling somewhat OK- local dealer is advertising TENTHOUSANDDOLLARS off of any hyundai (plus, he keeps pronouncing it 'HON-DAY' like he's tailgating another's rep). Apparently hoonday can't charge what the competition is because no one will pay that much.

Dealer promo car, inline 6, was lettered 1926-1958 w/ Pontiac dealer name on rear. Found in barn after sitting since approx. 1970. Running & driving/licensed. {Crappy cell-fone pics.}

blackviper8891 ~ >>"And why, exactly, is religion being brought up at all?"<< 'belief' and 'faith' do not always mean 'religion'. And he did say "like a religion". No specific religion or icon thereof was mentioned. Breathe in, breathe out.

I see the next s-class is coming out with a 4-banger. Someone's head is going to explode.

Absolutely (@ $50) !