DOTS: Quirky Shop Edition **repost**

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 06/13/2020 at 23:16 • Filed to: Dots

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**late repost**

All the cars today are on the property of a quirky collision shop. I’ve come to suspect they keep their own parts cars indefinitely. At any rate, they have a massive variety of cars on the premises, including this secret stash of MGs in a corner.

Nothing too rare here, but cool to see so many in one place. On the other side of a fence though, so no close ups.

I should point out that the tan MG has a painted rubber bumper, which really doesn’t look too bad, though it probably required periodic repainting.

Dang sun! Always ruining my photos.

Cool old Dodge pickup though. The paint seems pretty good and everything is there, so I’d guess this is an older light restoration that is sometimes used as a shop truck. This place is just quirky enough to try something like that.

I briefly spoke with someone who was closing down the place and he simply said, “yeah, we’ve got some pretty weird stuff.” This was just the front yard area; the back yard looked even more interesting.

I wrote about this earlier today, which you can find here. Wait. . . wait. . . this was registered as late as 2014?!?!?!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Yes, this is an ultra rare, at least nowadays, 82-83 Isuzu I Mark coupe with the 52 horsepower diesel engine and 5 speed that was registered 6 years ago! I was not expecting that.

The red interior was also surprisingly well preserved. Other than some blatant rust issues, I think you would be hard pressed to find a better I Mark anywhere of this generation.

That cracked windshield will not be easy to replace, however. The Chevette and this were both derived from the Opel Kadette C, so maybe this is easier to fix than you might think.

Ford Torino, I believe. I think this may have had a vinyl roof at one point based on the rust buildup around where it may have once gone.

Edit: Dead_Elvis wishes ill upon the herbs pointed out this is a Dodge Aspen Coupe. Thank you.

Edit: ClassicDatsunDebate pointed out it is actually a 1977 Plymouth Volare, the same car but with a different grille.

It once had a sporty stripe kit too.

Sort of appears to be a half finished project that ran out of expendable time and money.

Terrible photo of a good Disco. Better appearance than you might expect.

Nice resto modded Plymouth Duster, I believe. Blue Beetle Convertible is also fairly nice. I think this front row is cars that are actively being worked on.

I don’t see many 300ZXs around. This example was in reasonable shape, although the paint was worse than it appears in photos. I still love the color.

The wheels are just so perfect on this car. Too bad they are missing the center caps.

I don’t see many Civic hatches of this era around anymore. I’d imagine most met a similar fate as this one.

A hard handbrake turn into a tall curb is what I’m guessing.

Something for Just Jeepin.

Brown on brown on brown on brown. I count 4 shades plus different rates of fading. So much brown.

Somehow Jamee is just the worst name for an RV I can think of.

You can just make out a 70s wood paneled station wagon hanging out next to some sort of old Ford, I think.

Huh, I’m getting K car vibes from this wagon but I don’t know.

Well, that brings me to the end of all the quirky rides hanging out outside this quirky collision shop. Even for this type of business, their inventory strikes me as somewhat strange.

Just Jeepin' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 15:56

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Not a big fan of YJs, but I wouldn’t turn it down.

Nice report. Keep up the quirky quotient. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Just Jeepin' 06/13/2020 at 16:01

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Thank you. I’d like to think of myself as Oppo’s resident quirky quotient, but I have to share the title with a few others. 

The square headlights aren’t great, but the stripes are interesting at least. Is there anything else there you’d rather have?

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 16:13

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I don’t think that’s a Torino, but a Dodge Aspen coupe, ‘79 or so.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 16:17

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Looks like two 90's Olds wagons maybe, not a thing we had much of in Hawaii but maybe. The MGB GT could be cool, I was going to get one before I found the Z. Isuzu (Chevy is part of it) makes great diesels.

ClassicDatsunDebate > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 16:29

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It’s a 1977 Plymouth Volare.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Dead_Elvis, Inc. 06/13/2020 at 16:29

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You’re right. In retrospect maybe a little too small for a Torino.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ClassicDatsunDebate 06/13/2020 at 16:36

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Dang. I’d already corrected it to an Aspen but now I see the grille is wrong. Thank you.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 06/13/2020 at 16:40

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Maybe good unless you want to go fast. 52 hp would have been dangerously slow even in the 80s. 

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 16:43

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My 65 00 lb truck has 78hp! 

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > ClassicDatsunDebate 06/13/2020 at 16:43

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What’s the giveaway (vs an Aspen) - the grille/front signals?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 06/13/2020 at 16:49

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Is your truck not dangerously slow? I would imagine its lack of speed would be a hindrance when trying to commute (hehe would not advise).

At least the big engine would have made plenty of torque to pull it around and the gearing wouldn’t be for fuel economy. Also, one is cool and the other is not.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 16:55

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It will go 55-60, we swapped the gears. It’s not super slow from a stop, the braking is not as good as modern, that’s the only thing I think about. Eventually I will do a disk conversion. It has low end torque and gears to pull a house off a foundation haha. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 06/13/2020 at 16:57

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Exactly! The torque and gearing for that truck is way more important than the outright horsepower, but 52 horses from a commuter car that is much heavier than a Beetle is unacceptable . 

ClassicDatsunDebate > Dead_Elvis, Inc. 06/13/2020 at 17:01

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It looks like the Aspen had the turn signals in the bumper and the Volare had them in the grill...from the pics I  could google up

Just Jeepin' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 17:03

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If I’m going to live with the relative discomfort of leaf springs I want to be compensated with CJ styling like a metal dash and of course the round headlights .

Ideally a flatf ender. Someday.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Just Jeepin' 06/13/2020 at 17:05

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“If I want an uncomfortable impractical car, I want it to be hopelessly dangerous to boot .”

- Just Jeepin, 2020

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > ClassicDatsunDebate 06/13/2020 at 17:21

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Looks like you’re right about the ‘77s, but it appears that in ‘78, the Aspen signal was moved up to match the Volare.

That particular Volare turn signal appeared on the ‘76, as well:

Just Jeepin' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 17:27

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Exactly!

ClassicDatsunDebate > Dead_Elvis, Inc. 06/13/2020 at 17:30

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Interesting. T his was back in the years that they changed the grill for every model year. Also, each badge had almost full autonomy for their own grills, lights and trim even when they shared a platform like the Aspen and Volare.  I think it gave each badge its own unique character...which was the point.

jeepoftheseus > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 18:22

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Thanks for sharing.  I fully endorse any and all MGB GT content. Just watched an auction on BAT for a orange one (my top pick, then BRG, then that MG pale yellow) end at a reasonable price last week somewhere under five figures. Older resto needing some body work but a solid runner. They’re on my short list.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > jeepoftheseus 06/13/2020 at 18:30

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Not these specifically, I hope, because they would need a lot more than mechanical work. Likely parts cars for getting a c ustomer back on the road.

jeepoftheseus > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 18:31

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Every classic vehicle owner needs a parts car!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > jeepoftheseus 06/13/2020 at 18:33

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There are parts a plenty there.

kanadanmajava1 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 19:20

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The yellow Plymouth is a 1968 Satellite C oupe. The hood is not original but it s sister model Roadrunner was offered in the next year with an option package that did have such scoo ped hood (made of fiberglass and always paint ed matte black) . It’s a fairly popular modification for these.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > kanadanmajava1 06/13/2020 at 21:05

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Ah, thank you.

ranwhenparked > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/13/2020 at 23:43

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The '70s wood paneled wagon is a 1982-1996 GM A-body of some sort - Celebrity/6000/Cutlass Ciera, I'm kind of proud of not knowing much about those, so can't pinpoint further. The old Ford next to it is a 1958 Custom 300. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ranwhenparked 06/14/2020 at 10:18

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Ah, thank you. I was somewhat surprised no one elaborated on the fancy Fords .