Picture a modern suburban soccer mom wrestling this vehicle into the parking lot at the local Starbucks. As if you could steer this thing with one hand (and no place to set down your vente Mochaccino Latte in those B.C. -- Before Cupholders -- vehicles).
10 - 1 that that 'burban is no longer rocking the thriftmaster, especially since it is a floor shift rather than a column shift. Likely has a 50's el camino engine.
Notice the single tail/brake light unit. Let me tell you I have driven several vehicles with this set up and folks don't know what hand signals are anymore, some even think you’re waving at them.
About ten years ago I was driving a 48 Ford pickup with a similar setup and got pulled over by a cop for having a missing taillight. I explained to him that the truck was stock and in our state, one running light was all that was required anyway; he let me go. Moral,… know the law.
@Flathead Smith: The waving back is hilarious; I'm a bicyclist and signal nearly all of my turns, and (especially when turning right) people do tend to wave at me.
@Flathead Smith: My grandmother got pulled over by a cop once (in the '50s sometime) because instead of signaling with her hand she was waving it wildly. When asked to explain herself, she said, "I started signaling for a right turn, but I realized I needed to turn left, so I was erasing the first signal."
I love late '40s and early '50s vehicles. So much style. So little fluff. Air conditioning? You have windows. Radio? You might get an AM Motorola unit (Blaupunkt wouldn't fit a car with FM for another few years after this car was built). Power seats? Cupholders? Infotainment systems? Nope. Just basic get-you-and-your-stuff to where they need to go.
This would make a nice resto-mod,put a new diesel in it and some amenities(like a/c and nice sound system). Ok I am lying to myself.I would leave the body as is.
This is an exemplary non-sport Utility Vehicle. Probably rode just fine with a load, in its' day. And most of what might go wrong on it could be fixed with tools no more sophisticated than a hammer.
Of course, the brakes and bias tires meant you'd be taking your life in your hands every time you set out. But you can't live your whole life packed in bubble wrap, can you?
And the designers of the HHR should have this truck tattooed on the inside of their eyelids. How could they have tried to copy so closely, yet missed so completely?
Too bad this fellow's lost one of his eyebrows. Finding a replacement has to require a nationwide search. But otherwise, the truck looks remarkably intact. Good for another sixty years, easy.
@Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet: I don't think the HHR was that bad. It doesn't have as well integrated of a design as the PT Cruiser, but the front and back end are okay. What I most dislike are the Monte Carloesque fender creases. They don't match the rounded contours of the rest of the car.
@DrLemming: The ran-the-car-through-a-planer look isn't attractive on anything that's not already square. Case in point, the New Beetle above... it originally had round-sided fenders to match its round body, but for '06 VW decided to really screw the pooch.
Ford has the TorqueShift transmission. Also, they were going to call the EcoBoost engine "Twin Force". I like TwinForce better than green-appeasing EcoBoost.
@The Dead Inside Grp. Co. Ltd.: I nominate the Jeep Go-Devil and Hurricane names for a comeback, as well as the Chrysler Fire-Dome hemi. In fact, I don't think it would be bad if there were more F-head and hemi engines out there today.
Good news!
What?
My Dacia Sandero has the improved 'NeuteredHamster' 4 cylinder!
Excellent!
I couldn't afford to upgrade to the WifeMollifier in my Kia Beige. (I'm sure Kia makes a product that should be called Beige.).
Magnificent beast. Oh, I'm sure it's hot, slow, and noisy, and the ride would rattle my fillings, but I'd love one nonetheless. The headlight visors with the Chevy logo are a nice touch - were these official accessories? The HHR was said to be inspired by these Suburbans. I can only conclude that Chevy did a better job first time around.
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About ten years ago I was driving a 48 Ford pickup with a similar setup and got pulled over by a cop for having a missing taillight. I explained to him that the truck was stock and in our state, one running light was all that was required anyway; he let me go. Moral,… know the law.
07/25/09
Good on ya for knowing the law.
07/25/09
It's not awesome in Atlanta traffic.
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Of course, the brakes and bias tires meant you'd be taking your life in your hands every time you set out. But you can't live your whole life packed in bubble wrap, can you?
And the designers of the HHR should have this truck tattooed on the inside of their eyelids. How could they have tried to copy so closely, yet missed so completely?
Too bad this fellow's lost one of his eyebrows. Finding a replacement has to require a nationwide search. But otherwise, the truck looks remarkably intact. Good for another sixty years, easy.
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***But you can't live your whole life packed in bubble wrap, can you?***
Sure you can... see?
07/25/09
And...
07/26/09
BTW, have you seen my lawn dart set? They make a really cool sound when they pop bubble wrap.
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Ford has the TorqueShift transmission. Also, they were going to call the EcoBoost engine "Twin Force". I like TwinForce better than green-appeasing EcoBoost.
07/25/09
I always thought that "POWERSTROKE" was a fairly hilarious Ford product name...
@jesusonthedashboard
Ibid to that
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Sure, I'm right there with ya... and along with: "THRIFTMASTER", I'd like to nominate: "NEUTEREDHAMSTER", "HOONSTOPPER", and "WIFEMOLLIFIER"
07/25/09
I can picture that day:....
Good news!
What?
My Dacia Sandero has the improved 'NeuteredHamster' 4 cylinder!
Excellent!
I couldn't afford to upgrade to the WifeMollifier in my Kia Beige. (I'm sure Kia makes a product that should be called Beige.).
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Mine won't have any vise grips to open doors or roll down windows, though. I am using all my vise grips to hold brake calipers on.
07/25/09
Besides - chances are this beauty has drums all around, so you can keep the Vise Grips on the doors where they belong.
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