Posted On: Saturday - July 27th 2024 7:33PM MST
In Topics:   Music  Cars

The day after I bought this car, I was driving it around with the radio blasting, as one did back then, and I heard Neil Young's Long May You Run play. This is a great omen, I figured.
The song was an ode to this musician's old '48 Buick Roadmaster hearse that he'd use to transport himself and his gear way back when, and it died as per the song lyrics.
That all was well before my car was made. However, I can say that it was built when Neil Young still had plenty of long hair, if that helps ya'. I can't get the date from it, but this live version of this 1976-recorded song (on an album with Steven Stills) is probably from around the manufacturing year. Neil did a good job in that live video, but i'm featuring the studio version for the electric guitar solo and the backing vocals about "Caroline, No."
That's 166,666.7 miles, as the odometer has "turned over", as they would say back when one didn't expect much more than 5 digits out of the car*.
Yes, hearing Long May You Run was indeed a good omen. This car has had its share of trauma when a girl ran a stop light while on her phone one night. (Saw it coming, but too late to stop short of the intersection.) The insurance company figured "no more may she run", but we didn't agree, so we went to court.
Later she was laid up for medium-level repairs for 6 years - 3 were on me, and 3 on the mechanic - but that's over with. She HAS run for long because "we" never missed any shifts on any long declines (Canadian for "down hill").
Long may you run.
Long may you run,
although these changes
have come.
With your chrome heart shinin'
in the sun,
long may you run.
I caught that odometer reading a year or more ago. The mileage may be well over this value, as the speedometer/odometer had been reading low for a number of years. A State trooper suggested this to me by the side of the road a few decades back, when I'd argued that "I was only doing 62!" when he said his radar showed 67 mph. I was pissed. I knew I was right. Of course, the speed limit was 55 on this 2-lane road, so... well, I wouldn't make a good lawyer. The cop told me to clock it when I got on the interstate. Whaddya' know? He was right.
I did get angry for a moment during our chat sitting on the hood of my car next to a plowed field off the road there, mainly due to my circumstances with my license. Were I to have gotten a ticket, that may have just had me turning around and going home, being only 1/4 of the way to my destination. So, here I was, getting loud to this black cop, with my rebel flag on the front there (wasn't really a deal then), and, well, no, see... most people are still decent. He gave me one of those warnings on blue paper in addition to the advice about my speedometer. Yeah, sitting on the hood, with no big drama... it was '94, '98, '02, I'm not sayin', but it was a different time, you understand ...
* Left of the decimal, that is.
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[UPDATED 07/28:] Added last paragraph.
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Comments:
Moderator
Monday - July 29th 2024 7:15PM MST
PS: I looked for the mileage, Adam, but didn't spot it. Thanks.
Adam Smith
Monday - July 29th 2024 7:01PM MST
PS: Good evening, Achmed,
Kenosha, Wisconsin makes me think rust too. But this one does look pretty good in the pictures. And it says it only has 5490 miles, so it may be legit. (Garaged its whole life, maybe even a southern car?)
But that price! Wow!
I could have an LS swapped jag or an old porsche (or something) for that kinda money. โฎ๏ธ
Kenosha, Wisconsin makes me think rust too. But this one does look pretty good in the pictures. And it says it only has 5490 miles, so it may be legit. (Garaged its whole life, maybe even a southern car?)
But that price! Wow!
I could have an LS swapped jag or an old porsche (or something) for that kinda money. โฎ๏ธ
Moderator
Monday - July 29th 2024 6:22PM MST
PS: Regarding the Red Cavalier for only $29,000 (and no cents!), Kenosha, Wisconsin makes me thing rust. Yes, it's (still?) in a showroom - nobody liked the options - or inside, but I'm thinking painted-over rust now.
Ebay states:
Warranty Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
"Sir, I'm gonna need a warranty. It is, after all, a Chevy Cavalier." "Uhhh, it's a 1987, Mr. Moderator."
Ebay states:
Warranty Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
"Sir, I'm gonna need a warranty. It is, after all, a Chevy Cavalier." "Uhhh, it's a 1987, Mr. Moderator."
Adam Smith
Sunday - July 28th 2024 9:52PM MST
PS: Not a chevette, but check this out...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/166874277594
๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถโ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ , ๐๐ข๐ก ๐คโ๐ฆ ๐๐๐'๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ถโ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ?
For the same reason you can't find an old Yugo...
And the same reason you can find LS swapped Jaguars.(?)
Happy Monday Morning! โฎ๏ธ
https://www.ebay.com/itm/166874277594
๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถโ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ , ๐๐ข๐ก ๐คโ๐ฆ ๐๐๐'๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ถโ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ?
For the same reason you can't find an old Yugo...
And the same reason you can find LS swapped Jaguars.(?)
Happy Monday Morning! โฎ๏ธ
Moderator
Sunday - July 28th 2024 5:23PM MST
PS: I guess they want to use the name, but that's about all, Adam. The "Camaro" SUV looks like your typical small "crossover" - got nothing against them, BTW.
The "Corvette" SUV looks like it's trying to be a large one, but it's also trying hard not to be seen as a station wagon, even though it sort of is.
Question: You can find old Chevelles, and you can find old Corvettes, but why can't you find any old Chevettes? One of those, or an AMC Hornet or Gremlin, or better yet, a Subaru Brat, would be an awesome vehicle to drive around town in!
The "Corvette" SUV looks like it's trying to be a large one, but it's also trying hard not to be seen as a station wagon, even though it sort of is.
Question: You can find old Chevelles, and you can find old Corvettes, but why can't you find any old Chevettes? One of those, or an AMC Hornet or Gremlin, or better yet, a Subaru Brat, would be an awesome vehicle to drive around town in!
Moderator
Sunday - July 28th 2024 4:58PM MST
PS: You did really well getting 25 mpg highway with the 305, Adam, or the car did. I guess that fuel injection made a huge difference. My car (whatever it might be) has always gotten 21.5 mpg, one time measured over a 7,500 mile trip. Windows down, windows up, no (working A/C), same deal.
In the city, it's gone from 18 down to 12 mpg. I really don't know what that could be (rebuilt the carb twice), but possibly it's just the really short trips I've been doing, considering that I used to wait for the choke thingy to heat up and let idle rmps go down.
OK, so I did remember the manufacturing facilities in Canada but wrong generation.
That page had all the details and that $14,639 price with the options just for old times' sake, I guess. I imagine, even in '12, one would have paid $30,000 or well over for something that pristine. There's can't have been many then, much less now.
In the city, it's gone from 18 down to 12 mpg. I really don't know what that could be (rebuilt the carb twice), but possibly it's just the really short trips I've been doing, considering that I used to wait for the choke thingy to heat up and let idle rmps go down.
OK, so I did remember the manufacturing facilities in Canada but wrong generation.
That page had all the details and that $14,639 price with the options just for old times' sake, I guess. I imagine, even in '12, one would have paid $30,000 or well over for something that pristine. There's can't have been many then, much less now.
Adam Smith
Sunday - July 28th 2024 4:36PM MST
PS: Greetings, Achmed,
Yeah, that second Camaro is pretty nice. I like that it has a manual transmission. (Mine was an automatic, but it was still pretty nice. The tuned port intake was kinda sexy and not available from the factory with a manual. Even though the tuned port 305 got about 25mpg on the highway I would rather have had the stick.) I hope whoever bought it took care of it.
I don't know what it sold for, or what they were asking, but the original sticker price was $14,639 as per the link. I paid $7000 for mine, which I thought was a pretty good price at the time for a car that was essentially like new but 10 years old.
Many of the other cars available when I was car shopping were about the same price, but not nearly as nice nor did they have such low miles. Maybe the price was on the low side because it didn't have a/c? (I don't know.) I sold it for $6000 after enjoying her for ~12 years and 60,000 miles.
As far as I can tell, all 3rd gen. Camaros were made in the states. They were assembled in Van Nuys, California for all model years and in Norwood, Ohio from 1982โ1987. (Eleventh VIN digit is N for Norwood assembly, L for Van Nuys.)
The fourth generation of the Camaro was introduced in January 1993, and assembled in Sainte-Thรฉrรจse, Quebec, Canada. The fifth gen. were assembled in Oshawa, Ontario.
I heard that the 5th gen sold pretty well because it was one of the few cars still available with rear wheel drive. It's a shame they are killing these sorts of cars to push EVs that no one wants.
Check this shit out...
https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/camaro-suv
https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/corvette-suv
Blasphemous! โฎ๏ธ
Yeah, that second Camaro is pretty nice. I like that it has a manual transmission. (Mine was an automatic, but it was still pretty nice. The tuned port intake was kinda sexy and not available from the factory with a manual. Even though the tuned port 305 got about 25mpg on the highway I would rather have had the stick.) I hope whoever bought it took care of it.
I don't know what it sold for, or what they were asking, but the original sticker price was $14,639 as per the link. I paid $7000 for mine, which I thought was a pretty good price at the time for a car that was essentially like new but 10 years old.
Many of the other cars available when I was car shopping were about the same price, but not nearly as nice nor did they have such low miles. Maybe the price was on the low side because it didn't have a/c? (I don't know.) I sold it for $6000 after enjoying her for ~12 years and 60,000 miles.
As far as I can tell, all 3rd gen. Camaros were made in the states. They were assembled in Van Nuys, California for all model years and in Norwood, Ohio from 1982โ1987. (Eleventh VIN digit is N for Norwood assembly, L for Van Nuys.)
The fourth generation of the Camaro was introduced in January 1993, and assembled in Sainte-Thรฉrรจse, Quebec, Canada. The fifth gen. were assembled in Oshawa, Ontario.
I heard that the 5th gen sold pretty well because it was one of the few cars still available with rear wheel drive. It's a shame they are killing these sorts of cars to push EVs that no one wants.
Check this shit out...
https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/camaro-suv
https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/corvette-suv
Blasphemous! โฎ๏ธ
Moderator
Sunday - July 28th 2024 2:32PM MST
PS: Adam, possibly your Camaro had been built in Canada too. I recall that some were built in southern Ontario or Quebec. I figure the ones you linked to were California made, by Valley Guys. (One of the stated it was.)
As for the 19,000 miles on the 1st one, perhaps the ownerโs speedometer/odometer were off by even more than mine was. ;-} That 2nd one was amazing. The ad was from a long time ago, โ12, unless the math is wrong. (Says built 26 year ago.) 900 miles on it! I could not see on the site where it said how much it sold for.
Iโm partial to the III generation too, Adam. However, I like the 1st best, as anyone would, and donโt mind at all the Jim Rockford style (I know, Firebird) II gen. After the 3rd, I donโt knowโฆ you donโt see a lot of those - I did think they looked cool in the commercials for them at the time.
The Camaro line is dead though, alasโฆ
As for the 19,000 miles on the 1st one, perhaps the ownerโs speedometer/odometer were off by even more than mine was. ;-} That 2nd one was amazing. The ad was from a long time ago, โ12, unless the math is wrong. (Says built 26 year ago.) 900 miles on it! I could not see on the site where it said how much it sold for.
Iโm partial to the III generation too, Adam. However, I like the 1st best, as anyone would, and donโt mind at all the Jim Rockford style (I know, Firebird) II gen. After the 3rd, I donโt knowโฆ you donโt see a lot of those - I did think they looked cool in the commercials for them at the time.
The Camaro line is dead though, alasโฆ
Adam Smith
Sunday - July 28th 2024 8:21AM MST
PS: Good morning, gentlemen!
Funny. I sold my Camaro like 15+ years ago but just a quick glance at that speed-o-meter and I knew exactly what I was looking at.
https://www.grautogallery.com/vehicles/3966/1986-chevrolet-camaro-iroc-z-28
https://www.rkmotors.com/vehicles/578/1986-chevrolet-camaro-iroc-z-28
The first link is more like my car as it has the tuned port injection. The wheels and trim on my car were like the ones in the second link. Mine had black interior, t-tops, and no a/c.
It was the closest thing to a "new" car I've ever had. I bought it with ~10,500km on the odometer (It was originally a Canadian car) about two years before I was old enough to lee-guh-lee buy beer in the states. I was the second owner. An old man owned it and kept it garaged, pampered, and pristine until he met his demise. Some time after that his widow traded in their old cars for a new Cadillac. Shortly thereafter I went car shopping and found it on the lot.
That's too bad about your Camaro, Mr. Alarmist. I think that the first gen Camaro/Firebird was the best. Of course, I'm a bit partial to the 3rd gen (because mine treated me so well) and I think it is the second best Camaro as far as styling goes. But there really is something special about the first gen.
I don't know how bad it was after being smashed by a truck, (I'm assuming the rear wheels of the trailer ran over the front of your car by your brief explanation) but it might have been worth fixing given the premium they currently fetch. (Who'd a thunk that some of these cars would sell for damn near a quarter million dollar bucks?)
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/chevrolet/camaro/1969
https://www.hagerty.com/media/market-trends/most-expensive-camaros/
Glad you survived your semi-truck crash encounter. Some people are not so fortunate.
(Big trucks are a big responsibility as truck crashes can be really ugly and deadly!)
So yes indeed to a Happy Sunday! โฎ๏ธ
Funny. I sold my Camaro like 15+ years ago but just a quick glance at that speed-o-meter and I knew exactly what I was looking at.
https://www.grautogallery.com/vehicles/3966/1986-chevrolet-camaro-iroc-z-28
https://www.rkmotors.com/vehicles/578/1986-chevrolet-camaro-iroc-z-28
The first link is more like my car as it has the tuned port injection. The wheels and trim on my car were like the ones in the second link. Mine had black interior, t-tops, and no a/c.
It was the closest thing to a "new" car I've ever had. I bought it with ~10,500km on the odometer (It was originally a Canadian car) about two years before I was old enough to lee-guh-lee buy beer in the states. I was the second owner. An old man owned it and kept it garaged, pampered, and pristine until he met his demise. Some time after that his widow traded in their old cars for a new Cadillac. Shortly thereafter I went car shopping and found it on the lot.
That's too bad about your Camaro, Mr. Alarmist. I think that the first gen Camaro/Firebird was the best. Of course, I'm a bit partial to the 3rd gen (because mine treated me so well) and I think it is the second best Camaro as far as styling goes. But there really is something special about the first gen.
I don't know how bad it was after being smashed by a truck, (I'm assuming the rear wheels of the trailer ran over the front of your car by your brief explanation) but it might have been worth fixing given the premium they currently fetch. (Who'd a thunk that some of these cars would sell for damn near a quarter million dollar bucks?)
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/chevrolet/camaro/1969
https://www.hagerty.com/media/market-trends/most-expensive-camaros/
Glad you survived your semi-truck crash encounter. Some people are not so fortunate.
(Big trucks are a big responsibility as truck crashes can be really ugly and deadly!)
So yes indeed to a Happy Sunday! โฎ๏ธ
Moderator
Sunday - July 28th 2024 6:12AM MST
PS: Thanks for the greetings, Alarmist. It sounds like it could have been you along with the Camaro if you'd been a few feet further along. In my case, if I'd been fractions of a second later at the intersection, i.e. more braking, I'd have T-boned the girl's car on her side too.
As it was, I'm glad she admitted to the cops that she ran the light - it was a black part of town and nobody stopped to be a witness even with a bunch of cars around. Otherwise, this car would have run no longer... on liability only insurance.
Those old cars are worth a fortune now. However, once the kind of Americans who appreciate cars to begin with have faded from this World, they may be worth less. Then, they'll be the (Rush) Motor Law. OTOH, the EVs have been taking a hit lately in the market and in the media.
As it was, I'm glad she admitted to the cops that she ran the light - it was a black part of town and nobody stopped to be a witness even with a bunch of cars around. Otherwise, this car would have run no longer... on liability only insurance.
Those old cars are worth a fortune now. However, once the kind of Americans who appreciate cars to begin with have faded from this World, they may be worth less. Then, they'll be the (Rush) Motor Law. OTOH, the EVs have been taking a hit lately in the market and in the media.
The Alarmist
Sunday - July 28th 2024 3:22AM MST
PS
I had a โ69 Camaro SS that I thought would run forever until a Semi making a left turn over the front of it decided that would not be the case.
See on some restoration shows what little scraps people return to their earlier state, I wish I had had the foresight to keep the wreckage.
Happy Sunday, Peakers.
๐
I had a โ69 Camaro SS that I thought would run forever until a Semi making a left turn over the front of it decided that would not be the case.
See on some restoration shows what little scraps people return to their earlier state, I wish I had had the foresight to keep the wreckage.
Happy Sunday, Peakers.
๐