Sunday, December 12, 2004
Movie Wheels: '70s AMC Javelin in Saved!
My wife and I rented the wickedly funny DVD Saved! last night. Not only were we laughing out loud at this satire about Christian high schools and the sanctimoniousness and hypocrisy that some people practice in the name of Jesus, we were also shocked to see an AMC!
The creators of this movie outfitted Cassandra, the only Jewish student at American Eagle Christian High School, with a purple 1970s Javelin. (Although I'm not a Javelin expert, I'm sure it's a '71-74 Javelin.)
What really scared me was the way she whipped that car around in the student parking lot. It reminded me of my own high school driving days. Unfortunately.
Besides the movie's satire, I really had to laugh at the way the filmmakers "distressed" the Javelin. It had gray Bondo on the left rear fender and a busted left rear tail light. It's just like all the Javelins I remember seeing when I was growing up in the 1970s!
And the way Cassandra retrofits the Javelin to make it accessible to the handicapped is pretty funny too. Can I get an "Amen"?
posted by Todd on 12/12/2004 07:15:16 PM
Monday, December 06, 2004
Movie Wheels: Metropolitan in The Most Terrible Time in My Life
We love indulging in orphanspotting: the art of finding our favorite orphan cars in popular culture.
Our latest spotting: Torq-O customer and Met fan Lynn Schulte informs us that the hero of a Japanese film noir flick called The Most Terrible Time in My Life drives a Metropolitan.
If you go to the web site, you'll see the car on the cover. But what makes you really panic is the last shot in the movie trailer. He's dodging and weaving that sucker flat out through the crowded, claustrophic streets of Taiwan. Uh-oh. Better get Geico.
Thanks for the tip, Lynn!
posted by Todd on 12/06/2004 03:13:33 PM
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Mag Wheels: '41 Packard Woodie in Hemmings Classic Car
After seeing the '41 Packard One-Ten Deluxe in the December issue of Hemmings Classic Car, I, um, er, really want one.
This early woodie is extremely rare and extensivley restored. (Come to think of it, don't the words "extensively restored" have to precede the words "woodie wagon" by necessity?)
My favorite part of the article is the quote from owner Barry Briskman: "The real pleasure in owning this car is knowing that I took a heap of junk and made it into a worthwhile automobile."
posted by Todd on 12/05/2004 10:14:38 AM
Mag Wheels: Forgotten Orphan Collectibles of the '60s in Hemmings Classic Car
Issue 4 of Hemmings Classic Car is chocked full of orphans. On page 24 is a nice article about forgotten full-size collector cars of the '60s.
Writer George Mattar gives a great nod to the '66 AMC Ambassador. It's interesting that the price spread between a simple sedan ($1,000) and the convertible ($11,000) is so huge.
Mattar states that "these well-made cars are a cheaper alternative to AMXs, and there are likely more available." I don't think so. Sixty Six was a lousy sales year for AMC, and I see very few of these cars at the orphan shows. They're certainly prized by AMC collectors, but they're definitely not plentiful.
Mattar includes the '67 Plymouth Sport Fury in his article. This reminds me of a great radio commercial that we have in the Torq-O Archive. It features Edye Gorme belting out a jazzy Plymouth tune telling us that "Plymouth is out to win you over this year." After enticing us in a playful Marilyn Monroe tone to "See your Plymouth dealer today. He's all heart", she then returns to the tune and ends with something I can only describe as an orgasmic scream. I think it pre-dates When Harry Met Sally by about 22 years.
(Don't forget to turn the page for more great orphans like the '65 Oldsmobile Jetstar I, the Checker, and the '65 Studebaker Daytona Lark.)
posted by Todd on 12/05/2004 09:55:33 AM
Mag Wheels: '66 Oldsmobile Toronado in Hemmings Classic Car
The December 2004 issue (#4) of Hemmings Classic Car features a great article on the development of the Oldsmobile Toronado.
I didn't know that the Toronado was powerful enough to hold its own against many of the most collectible intermediate-sized '60s muscle cars, yet it's not nearly as collectible.
It features great styling and revolutionary engineering. It might be considered the last of the true Oldsmobiles made before the accountants began taking over GM in the early 1970s.
Once you're done with the article, check out the next article that chronicles the restoration of Mike Markowski's '66 Toronado. (As The Rutles said, "All you need is cash.")
posted by Todd on 12/05/2004 09:40:38 AM
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