[Arjay Bee]

Interesting vehicle Dave - what is it carrying? Concrete blocks? Anvils?

[r0ckstarr]

Interesting vehicle Dave - what is it carrying? Concrete blocks? Anvils?

It's his delivery from B&H.

[Jean Poitiers]

It's his delivery from B&H.

Lucky guy ...

[dcBear78]

Also, from the mouths of babes:

6-Year-Old Petitions GM CEO Mary Barra to Build the El Camino | Best Ride Midnight Oil Auto Blog

They already have an El Camino... It's just not available in the states and it's called a Holden Commodore Ute. I believe they have considered it as the hard work has already been done with the sedan (Chevy SS) but they don't think there is a market for it.



Now some of mine from a group of local who like to get together on a monthly basis.


untitled-2-20141220.jpg by Crew One Photography, on Flickr


untitled-5-20141220.jpg by Crew One Photography, on Flickr


untitled-34-20141220.jpg by Crew One Photography, on Flickr


untitled-16-20141220.jpg by Crew One Photography, on Flickr


untitled-17-20141220.jpg by Crew One Photography, on Flickr


untitled-9-20141220-2.jpg by Crew One Photography, on Flickr


Classic Car Show by Crew One Photography, on Flickr

[Ratmagiclady]

Interesting vehicle Dave - what is it carrying? Concrete blocks? Anvils?

I'd guess a bad spring or something actually bent about the frame or body. Those little mail trucks were a big improvement on the old mail jeeps, (which were basically WWII jeeps without four wheel drive and with a sheetmetal box for a cabin, ....but I think they were bought in the late 80's. There's been a lot of trying to starve the postal service into privatization for a long time, basically, so they haven't been getting a lot of new stuff. Don't seem to be bad vehicles, just getting plain-old worn out.

Also, yay, photos.

I don't know *quite* what it is with utes not going over big in America, but it's possibly got something to do with a) fuel standards are/were lower if you call something a truck, that's part of why SUVs kind of killed the station wagon a while, and b) Any time the car companies come *out* with something like an El Camino or something for that niche, it's usually impractically pre- hot-rodded.

I'd be interested if I had new-car money and someone tried selling like a Holden Commodore *Nomad* here in the US, though. You know, enclosed bed, two doors, maybe no bigger of a rear seat than there may as well be to make a flat deck, maybe some clever removable roof panel and old-style disappearing-window tailgate, something that can get up and drive like a car without beaching on speedbumps or having rubber band-thick tires on three thousand dollar rims, etc. Perhaps the problem is people like me arent' the ones buying *new* cars, are we? (I've been contemplating turning my Volvo into a three-seater by just yanking out the wider section of of the rear folding seat and reinforcing the seat panel that forms a deck in order to save weight and use the then-empty space, actually. Already removed the third seat in back cause I do not intend to carry like six children around in this vehicle, ever. )


Also, hi, Rupert. It's mostly just my computer issues. Half of what I say tends to get lost in browser crashes anyway, so that tends to add to frustration, unless I save and edit all kinds of frequently. Hope to have parts to fix that pretty soon.

[Just1MoreDave]

...I don't know *quite* what it is with utes not going over big in America, but it's possibly got something to do with a) fuel standards are/were lower if you call something a truck, that's part of why SUVs kind of killed the station wagon a while, and b) Any time the car companies come *out* with something like an El Camino or something for that niche, it's usually impractically pre- hot-rodded.

The baby seat changed the market too. When people start thinking about even one baby seat, which they are stuck with until the kid is 8, they want vehicles that make that easy. That shrinks the market for an El Camino. Of course, that makes me think someone should build a modern Dodge Rampage, except slightly longer, with two rear-facing integrated baby seats. Keep front wheel drive, with a 2 liter turbo 4, something like 225hp.

[Ratmagiclady]

The baby seat changed the market too. When people start thinking about even one baby seat, which they are stuck with until the kid is 8, they want vehicles that make that easy. That shrinks the market for an El Camino. Of course, that makes me think someone should build a modern Dodge Rampage, except slightly longer, with two rear-facing integrated baby seats. Keep front wheel drive, with a 2 liter turbo 4, something like 225hp.

Hee, I used to have the hatchback that was based on, actually, with the 2.2 engine and the sport package.

Kind of like this:

Photos of Plymouth Turismo. Photo plymouth-turismo-03.jpg.www.bestautophoto.com

I really miss the little guy sometimes. Initially it was a little silly that they'd put all these stickers and little spoilers on, but by the time I had mine he looked like a well-loved Matchbox car. They tended to rot out (And people tended to ruin the engines expecting them to be like Toyotas) but with a 5-speed they could be pretty zoomey cause they were so light.

[r0ckstarr]

Hee, I used to have the hatchback that was based on, actually, with the 2.2 engine and the sport package.

Kind of like this:

Photos of Plymouth Turismo. Photo plymouth-turismo-03.jpg.www.bestautophoto.com

I really miss the little guy sometimes. Initially it was a little silly that they'd put all these stickers and little spoilers on, but by the time I had mine he looked like a well-loved Matchbox car. They tended to rot out (And people tended to ruin the engines expecting them to be like Toyotas) but with a 5-speed they could be pretty zoomey cause they were so light.

Looks similar to the Shelby Charger and has the same motor.

[Just1MoreDave]

Thinking about my previous post, I was reinventing the Subaru Brat, except with internal jump seats. It might work.

[Ratmagiclady]

Looks similar to the Shelby Charger and has the same motor.

Pretty much the same, anyway. With the Shelby package, they seem to have re-used a lot of the older style nose and tail treatments for some reason. I thought the four headlights version (with charmingly-blacked out bezels) were cuter and well, looked less like there was excessive nose hanging off the front there. Mine was the year before they rebadged them as 'Dusters' which was sort of a sentimental thing for me. I've kind of had the thought that if the new Darts are any good, maybe they could make a hot-hatch version styled after the 70's Dusters. (Kind of like a mini-Challenger only Dusterey: two doors and sort of make the sort-of fastback into a hatch like the 80's hatches, only maybe with something more modern for materials than the really big piece of safety glass. )

If you took it a step further and made said panel removable, you might even have some mini-utility capability right there.

I *know* a lot of people miss hatchbacks and little wagons here, after all.

[r0ckstarr]

Thinking about my previous post, I was reinventing the Subaru Brat, except with internal jump seats. It might work.

Almost....

[Ratmagiclady]

Almost....

One reason I have always had some affection for Subaru: they're just unafraid to be *weird,* sometimes. I do find the choice there of "Let's make a sedan with an open trunk" rather questionable, though, unless there's some way to open the bed up to where the back seats are. (Kind of like those Chevy and Cadillac monstrosities. (Avalanches?) )

[r0ckstarr]

The weather was good so I took the car out with the top down.

[Ratmagiclady]

The weather was good so I took the car out with the top down.

That looks nicely set up, is the body kit and all factory?

We're getting some actual wintry (for here) temperatures , so work on the Ratmobile is slowed down. Collecting parts and, well, tools. Starting to need more leverage in my old age. Also Metric wrenches. (Don't think I ever had those unless I left them with my Datsun, actually. )

[r0ckstarr]

That looks nicely set up, is the body kit and all factory?

Yep. All factory stock body panels. The only thing not stock is the exhaust and the brakes.