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"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 09/07/2020 at 18:03 • Filed to: Dots, donk, atlanta

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It is not uncommon for a horde of donks to invade The Varsity in Atlanta on weekend nights. Though with less regularity than bikers take over the gas station across the street, the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! has a long history of car shows in its parking lots.

The Varsity is the sort of place you drive your car but somehow I always feel somewhat unsatisfied with the amount of food I receive as they aren’t very gluten-free friendly.

These two particular Chevy Caprices are exactly what most people think of when they hear the word “donk” but truthfully it is rare to see ones this well executed. Blasting rap music with an accompaniment of V8 burbles, these were an impressive sight to behold together. But they do reinforce my idea that there is not a single donk that wouldn’t be better as a lowrider.

There is something so gloriously wrong about this donked Lincoln Continental that I just love. In my opinion every Continental should always be black with a few exceptions for a sort of ivory white but this absurd creation just wears orange so well.

The two headlights were set to blink right-left-right which I ordinarily wouldn’t mind but the Xenon lights might have been my least favorite detail of the build. The color matched wheels were honestly less garish than they appear.

I presume there is a reason why old Caprices are so popular for donking but I don’t know. Maybe they have abnormally large wheel tubs? This one was actually nicely restored besides the wheels

This Chevy Impala was seriously clean other than the wheels. I don’t think the car was chopped up to fit those wheels so it may just get put back to factory spec one day. I love the off white ivory color with the red stripe. A real classic look

A less classic look is this older modified Challenger. 10K Smash? What’s that supposed to mean?

Alone away from the show was this beautifully preserved Chevy El Camino . Not my favorite iteration of the car but it was shockingly factory fresh in every regard.

It’s so rare to see an El Camino that doesn’t exude trailer trash vibes (no offense) but miraculously this example avoided that stigma in my mind.

Another great car was hiding from the hubbub on the other side of the restaurant. I actually don’t recognize it but I am getting GM vibes. The wheels were nice but perhaps a little oversized.

Update: It’s a Chevy Monza. Thanks Oppos.

So, Oppo, which of these cars would you drive home? I would probably take that Impala and sell the wheels for some less garish ones.

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:11

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That last one is a Chevrolet Monza Coupe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Monza

WilliamsSW > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:11

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Last one is a Chevy Monza . I love that 63, so I’d drive that home.

I do really like the red 73 convertible too though.

I’m ok with Continentals that aren't black. A little variety is nice. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:15

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#donkmycorolla

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 09/07/2020 at 18:24

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I’ve seen it and it is still beige. 

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:24

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Your Monte Carlo is a mid 80s  El Camino :)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/07/2020 at 18:25

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Huh, that’s not what I expected. It’s uncommon to see something like that with so much money dumped into it as it was cheap and disposable for a long time.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > WilliamsSW 09/07/2020 at 18:29

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Hard to tell but the Continental was exactly this color. It was so gloriously wrong that I love it!

Ah, the Monza. That’s an oddball to find done up so nicely. They were cheap and disposable for so long.

The red Caprice was impressive though. I just would like it with actual sidewall for comfortable cruising. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 09/07/2020 at 18:30

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You know I always get the two names mixed up but I know what I was trying to say. I meant El Camino but I didn’t type it. Dang, I knew that.

WilliamsSW > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:38

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Easy enough to put smaller wheels on it, which is what I would do.

I like that color - thought the Lincoln was a deep burgundy, which I would like even better (I love that color on anything really)

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:41

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Chevy Monzas like the one in your last photo are actually pretty interesting cars. For one thing, y ou could get them with the 350 V8, which of course was smog-choked and underpowered , a lthough that can be remedied with simple mods. But the best part of Chevy Monzas and a major reason why people still hot rod them today is that apparently they have a surprisingly low drag coefficient and are still quite aerodynamic by today’ s standards. In fact, some people even use them for land speed racing because they cut through the air better than most old muscle cars. Also, you could get them with fun stripe packages like this:

So it’s actually a pretty darn cool little obscure 70's muscle car!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > WilliamsSW 09/07/2020 at 18:44

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Nope. Forgot I deleted this photo. It’s a sort of burnt umber color but brighter than it appears in this photo. It’s not publishable quality compared to the others so I didn’t use it. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 09/07/2020 at 18:47

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Different Monza gen but I get it. It’s just odd to see one as this wasn’t a very remarkable car in its day. And no stripes on this one sadly. Pretty obscure currently so it was nice to see one. They’re actually quite good looking with their elegant proportions but small size.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:49

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It has been quite a while since I saw a Monza. 

WilliamsSW > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 18:53

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Love it!  The wheels work well I think too. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > WilliamsSW 09/07/2020 at 19:02

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Surprisingly well done, actually.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 09/07/2020 at 19:07

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That seems to be the consensus here. I know I hadn’t seen one before at all. 

ttyymmnn > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 19:39

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I saw that Monza and literally said, “Oh my god!” Loved that El Camino, too. Saw one in very good nick just yesterday.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ttyymmnn 09/07/2020 at 19:52

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Apparently the Monza is more unique than I thought. I should have taken another picture but I thought I'd get it on the way back and it was gone. 

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 20:05

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I had the Pontiac version called the Sunbird, just like above. A classmate in my brother’s dorm gave it to him at the end of the school year. I gave my brother a bit over $100 for, because it needed some work. I put front calipers and a set of pads. It also needed an ai r filter, which was one of the dumbest ideas I have eve r seen, another GM idea thatI’m glad died off quick. You couldn’t replace just the air filter element, you had to replace the entire assembly. The filter element was in an aluminum sealed enclosure that you discarded every time the air filter had to be replaced. Very wasteful in resources and money

Any way, after getting it road worthy for all of 9 days, the transmission failed, I will never forget the s ound it made as I was backing out of a friend’s driveway. The night before this occur red, the transmission kept shifting itself from 2nd and 3rd on the highway, so I knew it on the way out.

I gave the car away to a younger family member, who sold it for $150. Five owners in about 2 weeks.........  not sure if that’s a record or not.

ttyymmnn > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 20:27

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Unique in that you just don’t them ever. That’s the first one I’ve seen in at least 30 years. I always liked the styling.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/07/2020 at 20:53

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It's a mighty impressive feat for sure. I've heard about those infamous air cleaners. I wonder who thought that was a good idea. 

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 21:40

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The person who came up with the air filter design was probably in charge of increasing profits for the parts department. If my memory serves correct, the filter assembly cost was 500% higher than buying a filter element for any other car I had owned.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/07/2020 at 23:14

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Very likely as it makes no sense in any other context. A hidden increased cost of ownership apparently. Think of how much material has been wasted just by that decision over the years. It’s depressing.

Also, is that photo of your exact car? The styling was probably the best parts of those cars as from what I’ve heard the rest of them wasn’t very great.

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/07/2020 at 23:29

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No, that’s a photo from the web. Same color as the one I had. Mine was in much better condition, with the steel wheels/dog dish hub caps and tan vinyl interior.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ttyymmnn 09/07/2020 at 23:55

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It’s the first one I’ve seen at all. It just isn’t something that you would expect to be rest omodded so tastefully. Didn't look like a budget build which is even more surprising. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/08/2020 at 00:03

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Well their biggest selling point was the price so I take it that showed in the final product. How was it as a car?

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 00:56

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Th e car very basic, but like many cars at that time, could be purch ased as a little 4 banger with manual trans and n o creature comforts or you could buy one with a V8 and fully loaded. Th e basic build quality well below what we consider acceptable today, material quality varied greatly too, but most certainly on the lower end. GM was good at throwing throwing some aero bits and graphics on cars to add some visual appeal. I believe with some models there were performance suspension bits too. So, to be honest, each car had it own level of performance but the build and material quality were pretty much low grade.

https://monza.homestead.com/formula.html

Taylor Martin > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 05:35

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That place sure does attract some slick rides. I’m a sucker for Impalas (of this era, of course. The newer ones crush my soul a bit... oh how the mighty have fallen) so that white one you saw made me pretty giddy! Though then again, the only car that didn’t make me giddy was the newer charger. Not because it’s a bad car, but modern muscle just doesn’t excite me like classic muscle does.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 06:07

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In general Donks and massive wheels are not my thing.

From the selection I’d take the Continental home. The rims have to go though. I just can’t... ;-)  

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 09/08/2020 at 08:54

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And neither are they mine. There was something about that orange on a Conti that really struck me. The wheels are honestly not terrible for what look they were going for but I hope they didn’t cut it up to do that.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Taylor Martin 09/08/2020 at 08:56

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Might have just been the clearest photo? It’s a four door too! Yeah, this ivory color is just perfect.

Also, this is a Challenger:

And this is a Charger

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/08/2020 at 09:00

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Everyone at that time was trying to hide subpar quality in entry level cars behind graphics packages so I’m not surprised. It is a fun way to add appeal to a car that in practice wasn’t particularly interesting. They did have some nice styling though. I guess that was one of those cars where the trim level really mattered.

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 09:49

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Very much so, but the majority were built mid to low price range. The 2+2 hatchb ack was more popular with those who chose the higher end pack ages. The Buick and Oldsmobile H platform cars were all 2+2 hatchbacks.

Pontiac

Oldsmobile

Buick

Chevrolet

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/08/2020 at 09:55

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They sure knew how to spice things up with fun and absurd graphics. Just how common was it for them to actually have one of those stripe packages?

I always just knew about the hatchback so I thought the coupe was a different generation at first. They’re all really quite good looking for what they are. It does make you wonder why anyone bought the coupe when the hatchback looked just as good.

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 10:28

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Graphics gave the car a performance image, because that was the only way it could. Cars with graphics were less common than without. Red and yellow were popular paint colors. Most cars were V6, the V8 was least popular. The engines sure didn’t offer much performance, but this was true throughout the industry.

They all look better from a distance. The build quality and material quality reveal themselves the closer you get. Time was not kind to them e ither. Nylon door hinge bushing wore out quickly, so the doors sagged. Calipers had a similar issue, you could here them rattling on the patched pothole filled roads. The best combo was either the V8 manual or Buick 3.8 V6 with the manual, but most were built with an automatic.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/08/2020 at 10:50

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That is really to be expected but the doors sagging problem is a little egregious. And I bet you would have a tough time replacing the bushing now.

Was the V8 that much more powerful than the V6 in this application? Seems like all that extra weight would affect handling too. I bet the slushboxes didn’t do the malaise era power figures any favors.

I think automakers should bring back graphics packages. FCA does it well as who wouldn’t want a vinyl applique on their Jeep or Dodge? Why not do it on your more normal cars?

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 11:20

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My guess is the hinge bushing supply must be fine if they are the same as Camaro and Firebird, otherwise the crafty owner is going to find a good bronze substitute.

I like graphics that don’t look out dated 5 or 10 years down the road. The domestic manufacturers have done pretty good with this, but not always. The biggest issue with vinyl graphics is environ mental aging over time. Many people are keeping there cars for longer periods than we did back then.

The faded and cracked decals on your hood and side panels will eventually become a source of annoyance. Will it be annoying enough for to dislike the vehicle and it’s manufacturer? Will others see it and have a similar thought?

The Buick Skyhawk with both Nighthawk and Roadhawk graphics is a prime example of this. The graphics were usually di sintegrating before the car was paid off.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > onlytwowheels 09/08/2020 at 12:04

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The problems you refer to are valid but aren’t very likely to affect the original owners who are buying the things. A high quality sticker can last a long time. For instance, I’ve never seen a dry and cracked TRD sticker.

While crappy pinstriping can crack if left out in the sun for years. And those protective coverings for fenders susceptible to rock strikes often look like crap after 10 years or so. 

Still, I think the demand for something different is there for manufacturers to offer more graphics packages. At the very least Mopar knows its customers. And of course they can be removed with some time and patience or have a professional do it but not many people would actually do that. 

onlytwowheels > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 12:42

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I have seen plenty of faded and discolored TRD decals. The clear yellows, it is especially noticeable on white and silver trucks.

Vinyl p instripe is something that needs constant attention. If you own a vehicle with vinyl pinstripe, you also need to own r eplacement rolls of vinyl pin stripe.

Mopar knows how to give customers cars that remind us of the past. They use model names and graphics we are familiar with. Packages like R/T, Scat Pack, “Shaker Hood”, the Magnum and HEMI engine names all resurr ected from the muscle car era. The marketing folks have done their job well.

Taylor Martin > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/08/2020 at 14:37

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You know, I knew that too , but my dumb brain mixed up my “Cha” words... now I feel quite sheepish lol.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Taylor Martin 09/08/2020 at 15:00

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Cha-cha-cha!