The non-muscle American car thread (READ THE OP)

[RandomCarGuy17]

Some random Ford Racing stuff:

It's still interesting to know that there was a GT Prototype with a Mustang nameplate on it. I like the 7-eleven livery on it. It's a shame that they didn't do well. Anyway, posting it here since it's a Mustang in name only.

Question: Was the Ford Mk.IV race car really a GT40 or it's own thing? I've heard people in places saying otherwise.
Granted, I know that ShelbyAmerican lists it as a GT40 on their website and wikipedia counts it as a GT40, but I really want to make sure.

 

[TexRex]

Question: Was the Ford Mk.IV race car really a GT40 or it's own thing?

It's referred to as a GT40, but it was the first to be designed and built in the United States; I-IIIs were essentially just Lolas and, in that, were very English.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Yeah, the powertrain was the same but pretty much everything else was new, so for all intents and purposes the Mk IV was a totally different car.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

It's referred to as a GT40, but it was the first to be designed and built in the United States; I-IIIs were essentially just Lolas and, in that, were very English.

Yeah, the powertrain was the same but pretty much everything else was new, so for all intents and purposes the Mk IV was a totally different car.

Right, thank you both!

 

[TexRex]

It serves to bear in mind that "GT40" was really just a nickname derived from its intended participation in GT racing and its height (measured at the windshield) of 40 inches, and that the cars had unique in-house designations.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

It serves to bear in mind that "GT40" was really just a nickname derived from its intended participation in GT racing and its height (measured at the windshield) of 40 inches, and that the cars had unique in-house designations.

Uh, are you talking to me still or just in general? Because I kinda know that already.

 

[TexRex]

Uh, are you talking to me still or just in general? Because I kinda know that already.

A bit of column A and a bit of column B. It was really a reminder to not get too bogged down by the name when the name wasn't a legitimate one.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

A bit of column A and a bit of column B. It was really a reminder to not get too bogged down by the name when the name wasn't a legitimate one.

Okay, gotcha. 👍

 

[Tornado]

The problem with eary to mid-90s American cars specifically is that there was a very delicate line, directly related to the track width and wheel size vs the body panel sizes, that made some of them look like hideous reimaginings of a Hudson Hornet (Riviera, Continental VIII, Whale Caprice, Oval Taurus, second generation Lumina) with droopy curves spilling over the wheels, and some of them taught cars with body lines seemingly shrink-wrapped around the drivetrain (Aurora, Greyhound Seville, Camaro, most of Chrysler's output). The only one that really fell in the middle ground is the final Eldorado since it depended on trim. Once manufacturers stopped trying to tuck in the portions of the car below the axle line in the latter half of the decade there was an automatic improvement, since few cars did the curved in lower body while also pushing the wheels to the fenders anyway. It's certainly not exclusively an American car problem of the decade, but that's where it was most obvious since they were generally much bigger compared to, say, an ST180 Celica.


Some of them can be somehwat "fixed" with a wider stance on more aggressive wheels (the Riviera). Some of them really can't at all (Taurus most obviously).

 

[TexRex]

What's the name of this car, out of curiosity? It's beautiful though, whatever it is.

Apparently I missed this question until now, after checking to see if I'd posted a Kaiser Darrin here before doing so if I hadn't (I had).

It's a 1962 Apollo 3500 GT. Based on a heavily modified 1961 Buick Special with its 215ci (approx. 3500cc) V8, styled by Italian-American Ron Plescia, re-engineered by Construzione Automobili Intermeccanica in Italy and ultimately produced, in low volume due to business difficulties, in Oakland, California.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

 

[Turbo]

1978 Pontiac Grand Am Ute Prototype-

 

[Volksauto]

Some of my favorite finned 50s Mopars:

1959 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer Convertible

1958 Desoto Firesweep Coupe

1958 Plymouth Fury Hardtop

1955 Chrysler 300

1957 Imperial Crown Coupe

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[RandomCarGuy17]

Vector SRV8

 

[Turbo]

Time for some older Dodge concepts:

1994 Dodge Ram VTS Concept, the original Viper-powered Ram. It featured Viper rims and it's 8.0L V10 engine making 400hp.

1997 Dodge Neon GTS Concept, seems to just be an appearance package for the Neon R/T.

1999 Dodge Neon SRT Concept, the precursor to the SRT4.

Last but not least, here's a period-correct looking Neon.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I'll revive this thread with a Ford Falcon Wagon.

and a Ranchero

 

[Draggon]

A friend had a 79 Ranchero with a T-Bird clip ( hide away headlights ) Always loved it. The pic isn't her car.

 

[Volksauto]

Some cars from Duryea, the first American car brand:
1893 Duryea Motor Wagon

1899 Duryea Trap

1903 Duryea Four-Wheeled Gasoline Surrey

1914 Duryea Buggyaut (Winter Model)

1921 Duryea Gem Roadster

 

[Turbo]

1987 Lincoln Gilda Concept by Vignale









Such a sleek, sexy design from a brand known for making drab, depressed looking sedans in the 1980s. Would've gave the Cadillac Allante and Chrysler TC, which were also designed by Italian stylehouses, an interesting run for their money.

As a bonus, here's a 4-door Allante sketch which clearly never was.

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[TexRex]

That name though...

*cough*

 

[Populuxe]

That's Patty Moise at Road America at the 1985 IMSA American Challenge race. I remember her from her NASCAR career. I didn't realize she also did road racing in IMSA. That is one badass looking race car, and that's not anything I ever thought I would say about a Buick Somerset.

 

[Populuxe]

1981 Buddy Arrington Chrysler Imperial NASCAR


1979 AMC Gremlin Turned Spirit HighBall IMSA Racer (another Patty Moise race car)

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Ah, so there are Mosler MT900s without the wing. I've seen these things with wings so often

While talking about Mosler, I'll bring up the precursor car. This thing:

Just wow, the styling choices of this were bizzare. It looks like someone did a frankenstein experiment involving a Z31 Nissan 300ZX and Acura NSX.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Ah, so there are Mosler MT900s without the wing. I've seen these things with wings so often

While talking about Mosler, I'll bring up the precursor car. This thing:

Just wow, the styling choices of this were bizzare. It looks like someone did a frankenstein experiment involving a Z31 Nissan 300ZX and Acura NSX.

If you think the GTP is weird, check out its successor, the Mosler Raptor:

 

[Obelisk]

If you think the GTP is weird, check out its successor, the Mosler Raptor:

My very first reaction was "Truck" and I frankly have no idea why. What an oddball.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

My very first reaction was "Truck" and I frankly have no idea why. What an oddball.

The name conjures images of the Ford Raptor, perhaps?

 

[Obelisk]

The name conjures images of the Ford Raptor, perhaps?

That may be it. It could also be how the front of the car looks.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

That may be it. It could also be how the front of the car looks.

It's the split windscreen that does it.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

 

[homeforsummer]

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