70's cars good.

"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv) 06/28/2020 at 14:28 • Filed to: thoughts n' stuff

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People are too serious now. We want everyone to like us and accept us so much that we shun anything out of the ordinary and pursue status and normalcy.

That’s why I’ve grown to like 70's cars so much. Back then, you could buy cars with paint and stripe packages that were absolutely off-the-wall bonkers. Completely silly and unserious. And not only was it considered okay, it was cool . It was fun. I mean just look at this:

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That’s a ‘75 Camaro Rally Sport, and they came looking like that from the factory. And it wasn’t just muscle cars.

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International had seemingly gazillions of different fun stripe packages for Scouts! And the custom cars of the era were even more ludicrous:

Heck, even totally ordinary cars like Plymouth Crickets and Volares could be had with fun paint and stripe options:

Cars like this do the things we secretly wish to do but never do. I’m not saying everything about the 70's was wonderful or anything, but there was certainly a lot more joy in car paintwork back then. It’s sad that so many people today are afraid to enjoy fun and ultimately harmless things like this simply because they’re afraid of being different. Variety is the spice of life, so why would you want to be just like everybody else?

My bird IS the word > Jim Spanfeller 06/28/2020 at 14:55

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Lots of 50s “moral panic” vibes going on right now. Wonder when everyone will remember that as a species we are sweaty, ugly, and vulgar and that it's okay to have fun again.

Jim Spanfeller > My bird IS the word 06/28/2020 at 15:13

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Seriously, there’s nothing morally wrong with fun paint jobs, so why should we feel ashamed about buying cars with fun paint jobs? They’re fun! If anything, I think it would be especially beneficial now because with the media painting such a depressing and dreary picture, we could use a few  more bright and cheery things in this world.

DipodomysDeserti > My bird IS the word 06/28/2020 at 15:17

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“ Wonder when everyone will remember that as a species we are sweaty, ugly, and vulgar and that it’s okay to have fun again.”

When the evangelicals all die off from Covid.

JMordu becoming “savethemilanos” > My bird IS the word 06/28/2020 at 15:19

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Whenever we get off the i nternet so much and stop letting the sterilized ideas of terrifyingly huge tech brands tell us what’s acceptable to share/talk about. It’s not the whole issue, but the fact that none of our tech overlords control what content we can talk about and share on the most common channels of communication isn’t helping . Facebook thinks outright violence-inciting misinformation is no big deal, but doesn’t want anyone to ever come across a naked body in essentially any context, for example. That kind of shit is fucking us up for sure 

ranwhenparked > Jim Spanfeller 06/28/2020 at 15:53

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A lot of it was just a continuation of the 1940s/50s/60s vibrant colors, combined with newly available inexpensive vinyl decals and influence from the ‘60s hot rod scene. It changed when German luxury cars really got big in the 1980s, and people started gravitating to black, grey, and silver as seeming more modern and “industrial” and suited to the rational, precision engineered image those brands were projecting. Also, the rising sticker prices and increasing prediction to lease instead of buy has people way more concerned about residual values and less willing to take risks with bold colors that reflect personal tastes.

As an example, Dodge’s entry-level full-size sedan, the Polara, started at $3,065 in 1970, which is $20,000 in today’s money. An entry level Dodge full size sedan in 2020, a Charger SXT* , starts at $30,000 - cars have become way more expensive in real money terms, and people are less comfortable taking risks with colors.

*Not that great of an example, since the Charger seems to be one of the few models out there where customers really do go for color, but that seems to happen more on the higher end trim levels that older guys buy as toys, not so much on the cheaper ones that really are sold as purely  practical transportation or fleet vehicles.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Jim Spanfeller 06/28/2020 at 16:27

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Hi my name is Leata Cabalero and I’d like to join your party

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/28/2020 at 16:33

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Dang I answered you on the FP. Shoulda done it here. I wish automakers would bring back graphics. Or colors. Can we at least have one? 

My bird IS the word > DipodomysDeserti 06/28/2020 at 16:57

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Definetly not just the evangelicals at fault

My bird IS the word > Jim Spanfeller 06/28/2020 at 16:58

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You can’t be seen as someone with a personality. Gotta fit in to suburb hell.

DipodomysDeserti > My bird IS the word 06/28/2020 at 17:17

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Cleanliness, is indeed, next to godliness.

Taylor Martin > Jim Spanfeller 06/28/2020 at 18:29

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It’s a crying shame that as time went on we lost our sense of fun. What I’d give to see good looking teal cars on the road again, or any color other than various, dull shades of grey.

Jim Spanfeller > Taylor Martin 06/28/2020 at 23:27

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Of course, teal is fantastic! Especially with the addition of 90's graphics... the 90's were a fun time for car paint as well.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/28/2020 at 23:36

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Imagine what a modern-day VW Harlequin would look like... It would just be mismatched greys.

Jim Spanfeller > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/28/2020 at 23:38

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I have to giggle every time I look at one of those. I still want one badly. Too bad they never offered them with fun stripe packages... that would just be the greatest thing ever.

Jim Spanfeller > ranwhenparked 06/28/2020 at 23:42

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It’s really too bad... I wish people were more brave with their color choices, as it would liven up the road a lot, but this isn’t the sort of thing that changes quickly... I think there are definitely some slightly sad cultural explanations behind what’s going on with the dull colors.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/28/2020 at 23:58

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I saw that FO comment. Brilliant!

Ok, the word is in. The carmakers have decided that we can have body colored graphics, but only on silver cars.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/29/2020 at 00:12

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Basically, all cars need to look like this:

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/29/2020 at 00:16

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Not quite all, but a quarter of the road going population would spice things up. I'm more of a single or two tone man myself. I like a simpler composition for my own cars.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/29/2020 at 00:23

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That’s fair. I myself am partial to various browns, greens, oranges, and of course Honda’s Aegean blue. If I could swim in Aegean blue, I would.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/29/2020 at 00:33

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You feel like you’re swimming in it anyways.

I like a generous dash of bright color but I don’t want it to get too busy with tons of conflicting shades. I like to keep an orderly color palate, both in cars, clothing, and painting. Well, my paint mixing is the most wasteful I’ve yet seen but I produce results.