1966 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible

It was only last year that I discovered the meaning behind the numbered Oldsmobile models.

Way back in the Thirties, Olds made two basic series of cars, the F-Series and the L-Series. The former were smaller and had an inline six engine, while the latter were larger and had a straight eight. By the early Forties, these were replaced by three models: the 60 Series, 70 Series, and 90 Series. The first digit would be the series number while the second signified the number of cylinders, so a 76 would be the middle series car with a six cylinder, while a 98 was the king of Oldsmobile hill, packed with every luxo feature they had plus an eight cylinder engine.

The car in the picture is from the second model year of the eighth generation of the Olds 98, being a 1966 convertible in Nocturne Mist. Power would come from the 425 cubic inch version of Oldsmobile's famed Rocket V-8 producing either 360 or 375 SAE gross horsepower, depending on the compression ratio.

"Step Out Front in '66 in a Rocket Action Oldsmobile!" boasted the marque's full-line brochure, and this convertible was as snazzy and out front an Olds as you could want that year. Base price was over $4400, or close to forty-five grand in current dollars.

This one was snapped in December of 2023 using a Pentax Q10 and the 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 02 Standard Zoom lens.

1962 Chevrolet Corvette

Since its debut for 1953, Chevrolet's sports car had received a steady series of styling and performance upgrades. The '56 model year saw styling "coves" sculpted in the car's previously smooth flanks, while the headlights were thrust forward pugnaciously. For 1958, the car went to quad headlamps, with separate high beams, following the trend at the time.

1961 saw the biggest styling change, as the rounded rump of the car was replaced by a creased ducktail with four round taillights, which were to become a perennial 'Vette styling trademark. The rear end resembled the tail of Bill Mitchell's Mako Shark show car and in fact was heralding the next generation of the Corvette, the Sting Ray. 

That next gen 'Vette was supposed to go on sale for 1962, but development work required pushing it back a year, so the C1 soldiered on for one more model year.

New under the hood for '62 was the Turbo Fire 327 small block V-8, created by boring and stroking the previous 283 V-8. It was available from the factory in four different states of tune. There was the single four-barrel base motor with a 10.5:1 compression ratio and hydraulic lifters, rated at 250 SAE gross horsepower. Optionally, a larger Carter four-barrel gave a 300hp rating. 

Then came the two fun motors, both of which had solid lifters, Duntov cams, and 11.25:1 compression ratio: a single four barrel motor rated at 340 horsepower motor, or one with Rochester fuel injection making 360 SAE gross bhp. Transmission choices were either the 2-speed Powerglide auto or a 4-speed manual.

The styling on the '62 cars had a lot of the "gingerbread" removed. Gone were the chrome strips surrounding the side coves as well as the option of having the coves painted a contrasting color. The inserts in the fender vents at the front of the coves were now matte alloy rather than bright chrome, and about the only brightwork left on the side of the cars was the ribbed rocker panel molding.

Car and Driver tested a pair of '62 Corvettes: A four-speed fuelie car and one with the base motor and the Powerglide slushbox. The base car made an 8.8 second zero-to-sixty run and put the quarter away in 16.8 seconds. The gnarly injected car, with 3.70 rear gears and no Posi, displayed wheel hop on the way to a quarter in fifteen flat at 95mph.

The Ermine White car with the Red interior was snapped with an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and M. Zuiko Digital 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens in October of 2024, while the Honduras Maroon car was photographed with an iPhone 7 Plus in April of 2016.

1988 Toyota Supra

Here's a Platinum Silver third generation (A70) Toyota Supra, which is maybe my favorite, appearance-wise. It also remains affordable relative to the increasingly-unobtainium 1990s-vintage A80 Supras. The snout and wheels make me think it's an '88 model.

Normally-aspirated ones were reasonably quick for their time, with a DOHC 3-liter straight six putting out 200bhp. When Autoweek tested one back in 1986, it managed a zero-to-sixty time of 7.8 seconds.

The A70s were just a little on the plush side, and just a little too lardy to be considered sports cars, as though they were constantly reminding you of the "+2" part of "2+2". Think of it as a Japanese Camaro RS, with the Turbo version being a Tokyo-edition IROC-Z. (In fact, that was the subtitle for Car and Driver's initial test of the car: "Japan Aims at Corvette, Hits Camaro.")

This one was photographed in June of 2020 using a Nikon D7000 and a 16-80mm f/2.8-4E zoom lens.

1977 Ford F-150 Ranger

Here's a 1977 Ford F-150 Ranger still out there puttin' in work. The '77 was in the latter half of the sixth generation of Ford's perennial best-selling F-series of pickup trucks. The F-100 was the most lightweight model, while the F-150 was a long-wheelbase truck with an eight-foot bed rated for 2,325 pounds of payload.

The Ranger came with flashier trim and a better appointed interior, putting it halfway between the base trucks and the Ranger XLT "cowboy Cadillac" trim level. For the F-150, engine choices were the 300 cubic inch inline six, or V-8s in 351, 400, or 460 cubic inch sizes.

Several varieties of Tu-Tone paint jobs were available. The Regular one painted a contrasting color on the roof, the Deluxe version put contrasting colors in the side panels, and the Combination, like this Light Blue & Midnight Blue Metallic example, had both the roof and side panels in the secondary color.

I don't know that it's strictly a daily driver, but I've seen it out and about in the neighborhood in every kind of weather but actual sticking snow, and at this point I can't say as I blame homie. It'd be a shame for it to get eaten by the rust monster at this point.

The upper photo was taken in October of 2022 using a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens, while the lower one was snapped with a Nikon D700 and 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens in April of 2021.

1969 Chevrolet C10

1969 was the third model year for the Action Line, the second generation of Chevrolet's C/K series of light duty trucks.

The grille and side marker lights had changed from the previous year. The rear-view mirror in this Yuma Yellow long bed example has been replaced, since the factory one bolted to the headliner. It wasn't until '72 that Chevy started gluing truck mirrors to the windshield.

According to the fender badges, under the hood was the newest small block V-8 in Chevrolet's arsenal, the 350. In this case it's in the form of the 4-barrel LS9 rated at 250 SAE gross horsepower.

This one was photographed with a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens.

1976 Buick Century Custom Coupe

For 1973, Buick brought the Century nameplate out of retirement, where it had been since last being used in the '58 model year, and applied it to their A-body midsize cars, which had formerly been known as Skylarks.

Available as coupes, sedans, and wagons, these were Buick's meat and potatoes models, filling the same market niche as Olds's Cutlass and Chevy's Chevelle.

For the 1976 model year, the Century received a light styling upgrade, with more sharply creased lines that matched the newly-legal rectangular headlamps. Sedans had their lamps stacked vertically flanking an upright formal chrome grille while the Century coupes had side-by-side headlamps in a more rakish and aero-looking prow.

To commemorate the Bicentennial year, Buick used special color names on '76 models, like Potomac Blue and Constitution Green. The Century Custom Coupe in the picture above is Judicial Black.

Standard equipment for the Century Custom Coupe was the 3.8L Buick OHV V-6 with a 2-barrel carb and a 3-speed manual transmission. Option motors included either a 2- or 4-barrel equipped Buick 350 V-8, and any engine could be paired with a TurboHydramatic 3-speed automatic transmission.

This photo was snapped in April of 2017 with a Leica D-Lux 3.

1997 Buick Riviera

The Buick Riviera as a distinct model (as opposed to a trim package name) debuted in the 1963 model year as personal luxury coupe intended to compete with Ford's Thunderbird.

It carried that banner alone for GM until it was joined a few years later by the Oldsmobile Toronado. By the late Sixties, the Riviera, Toronado, and Cadillac Eldorado shared a platform (although the Riv was distinguished from the other two by hanging on to rear wheel drive until the '79 model year.)

1995 saw the eighth and final generation of the Riviera, like this clean 1997 Medium Autumn Green example. The base engine was originally the 205hp GM 3800 corporate V6, with an optional 225-horse supercharged version of the same motor.

When Car and Driver tested a '95 with the blown V-6, it clocked a 7.2 second zero-to-sixty time and put the quarter mile away in 15.6 at 90mph. A governor shuts off the fun at 109, which is a shame in a coupe that looks to have the aero of a bullet train. This was pretty reasonable acceleration in those days for a luxury coupe that only weighed about an NFL linebacker short of two tons.

For the '98 model year, the supercharged 3800, now producing 240 SAE net horsepower, became the standard motor. The final Rivs were rowdier than anything seen since the old 455cid days of the late Sixties, and the ovoid styling and clean interior looked nice, but 1999 was the end of the road for the Riviera nameplate at Buick.

1996 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

The third year of the fourth generation of Ford Mustangs was a notable one. The 1996 model year saw the absence of the classic Windsor pushrod V-8 that, in one form or another, had always had a home under Mustang hoods ever since the start back in 1964. (Well, except for the cursed year of 1974, about which we do not speak.)

Instead of the classic 302cid "5.0" motor... which was actually 4.9 liters, but that doesn't look as cool on fender badges ...the '96 Mustang GT, like the Pacific Green convertible above, had a SOHC 2V version of Ford's new 4.6L Modular V8, rated at 215 SAE net horsepower. The power and torque outputs were pretty much the same as the 5.0L H.O. motor it replaced, but unavoidably came a few hundred RPM further along on the tachometer dial. The motor was also much smoother and helped improve the car's general NVH.

Performance was close enough that variations between individual cars were more likely to determine the outcome than whether the car was a '95 5.0 or a '96 4.6.

This one was photographed in December of 2023 using a Pentax Q7 and 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 02 Standard Zoom lens.

1990 Chrysler New Yorker Salon

The K-car front wheel drive platform arguably helped a moribund Chrysler battle its way back into the black from near-bankruptcy in the early Eighties, after it had been pulled from the brink by a government loan.

Other than trucks, the legacy RWD sedans, and the L-body compacts (Omni/Horizon/Charger/Turismo), pretty much every vehicle made by Mopar in the Eighties and Nineties was on a variant of the K-car chassis. The K-car platform was to Chrysler what the ground-beef patty is to McDonalds; shuffle a few basic ingredients around it and you can come up with a pretty good-size menu.

Need a sporty coupe? Shorten the K-car for the Daytona. Need a minivan? Stretch the K-car for the Caravan*. Need a largish sedan to replace the Diplomat & Fifth Avenue? Hey, check out the stretched K-car in the picture above!

That's a 1990-1993 Chrysler New Yorker Salon in Black Cherry Metallic. The Salon was a sort of base model New Yorker introduced in 1990, that deleted the hidden headlamps and the half-vinyl roof off a New Yorker Landau, had a simpler taillight treatment, and used a bluff chrome grille similar to the cheaper Dodge Dynasty. The corner of the car you can't see in the photo is all stove in, but it's in otherwise nice shape, including all four fake wire wheel hubcaps.

Power would have been provided by Chrysler's port fuel injected 3.3L 150bhp pushrod V-6, and sent to the front wheels via a 4-speed A604 Ultradrive automatic transmission made right up the road at the plant in Kokomo, Indiana.

When Car and Driver hung their test instruments off a regular '89 New Yorker, it turned in a 10.8 zero-to-sixty time and made it through the quarter one tenth under the eighteen second mark. Not any kind of race car, but enough power to merge safely.

Base MSRP on a New Yorker Salon was $16,342, which was several thousand cheaper than the Landau and came to $39,500 in current dollars.

This photo was snapped with an iPhone 13 Pro Max in December of 2023.

*To head off the tidal wave of ackshyually emails, the minivans didn't technically use the K-car chassis. They had their own platform...that used K-car drivelines and suspension.

1976 Chevrolet Nova

For the 1975 model year, the Nova was redesigned with a body that had more sharply creased lines to match the formal look that was in vogue in Seventies Detroit. It retained the 111" wheelbase and unibody-plus-front-subframe construction of the previous 3rd Generation Novas, and in fact carried over the rear axle and suspension of the older car. Up front, however, disc brakes were now standard equipment.

Available as a coupe, sedan, or a hatchback coupe it was a hit, and the brochures for the 1976 Nova lineup were prominently "Dedicated to the three million Novas before it."

Mechanically, the '76 model year was largely unchanged and could mostly be differentiated by a different pattern to the grille.

The Malaise Era was in full swing for 1976, and the engine choices were either a base 250 cubic inch inline six rated at 105 SAE net horsepower or one of two V-8s: the new-for-'67 two-barrel LG3 305, making 140 horsepower, or an LM1 350 V-8, which had an 8.5:1 compression ratio for compatibility with regular fuel and therefore put out 165 horses.

The standard transmission was a floor-shifted 3-speed manual, with an optional TurboHydramatic. If you ordered the 350 V-8, it unlocked the availability of a 4-on-the-floor. Either V-8 meant mandatory power brakes.

The stunningly well preserved Mahogany 1976 Nova hatchback in the photo was snapped with an iPhone 6s in April of 2017.

1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4

Mitsubishi launched its rakish Starion 2+2 grand touring sports coupe for '82 and at the time, it was fairly competitive with its domestic competition. The 280ZX 2+2 and Toyota Celica Supra both sported 2.8L inline sixes to the Starion's 2.6L turbo four, but the Mistu pretty much kept up, at least in the intercooled ESI-R variant. Within a couple years, though, the motors in the Supra and Z-car had swole up to three liters and the Starion was outclassed.

It was replaced in 1990 by an all-new car, sold as the Mitsubishi GTO in the home market and the 3000GT here in America. Replacing the longitudinal turbo four rear-wheel-drive setup of the previous car was a transverse three liter DOHC V-6.

In the base cars, this motor was naturally aspirated and sent 222 SAE net horsepower to the front wheels through either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transaxle.

The performance version added a brace of intercooled turbos and was called the 3000GT VR4, signifying the "Viscous Realtime 4WD" system, sending power to all four wheels. It had active aerodynamics and four-wheel steering. All that gear came with a price, as the base MSRP for a 1993 VR4 was $38,492, or just shy of eighty five grand in today's money. 

With the 6G72 motor thumping out 300 (wink wink, nudge nudge, seriously underrated) horsepower, the 3000GT VR4 was plenty beastly for its time. While all that tech made for a chunky 3,860 curb weight, Car and Driver's 1993 test car managed a 5.6 second sprint to sixty, which would have been a supercar-only number just a decade earlier. The quarter mile was disposed of in 14.1 seconds at 99mph and the car barreled all the way to 155 before it couldn't push the air out of the way anymore. On top of that, the plushly-equipped, nearly-two-ton coupe circled the skidpad at 0.93g and stopped from seventy in just 161 feet.

3000GT VR4's like this Monza Red example are scarce sights in these parts these days, with most of them having been sucked into the black hole of the west coast import tuner scene. 

The one in the photo was snapped with a Canon EOS 7D and an EF 70-200mm f/4L IS zoom lens in January of 2023.