The 6.4-liter V8 was something else – it got the worst gas mileage I’ve ever encountered in a vehicle.

Not that it excuses such behavior, but given his age and getting the shakes, I wonder if we should be adding “ill-managed hypoglycemia” to the list of possibilities.

...and if you’ve actually got grounds for a lawsuit (truth being an affirmative defense to libel and all that), you don’t make public threats; you keep quiet while your lawyers prepare it, then file it.

Liked ‘em new, like ‘em now. This holds the promise of being a nice example, offered at about what they go for in “Good” condition in the tough Hagerty grading system. As long as you have good luck with the dash electronics or know what to do if that stuff goes on the fritz, this looks like a very cost-effective way…

the Thunderbird isn’t considered cool today

I’ve somehow never seen a Hunger Games movie nor heard that song, but the Hal David and Jerry Livingston song “The Hanging Tree” (recorded by Marty Robbins as the theme for a Gary Cooper Western of the same title) is now on repeat in my mental jukebox, not that that’s a bad thing.

A good deep dive on what it takes to do this:

Of course, the “right “ answer can be context-sensitive. People often define “continents” in political-geography terms that long predate plate tectonics.

Bought a few months ago, emplaced but did not hook up a colossal subwoofer, now wants out from under it at a fire sale price? Put me in the betting pool for “something expensive turned out to be borked and the seller needs the thing out of Mom and Dad’s driveway while it’s still worth anything at all.” Maybe…

Yeah, the difference between provenance and a fish story is a paper trail. And the difference between what this car would be worth if the Shelby connection were verifiable, and without, is probably about 2/3 of the current ask.

Meant to type NP, as in Nice Price.  Still internalizing the name change after all this time.  

Can you just own and drive an Avanti or does it require 360-degree lifestyle cosplay?

After 60 years the Avanti is still aesthetically too advanced for most people. I confess to being one of the philistines who find it easier to admire than to actually love, but if you want one, this might be the one you want.

I’m going to say “No Dolphin” as it has flipper writ large upon it.

I live a long way from Florida or other stereotypical retirement valhallas, but these things seem pretty much exclusively nice-weekend toys for the “you’re never too old to have a happy childhood” demographic around here too.

Interesting subhead in that I don’t think of Corvettes as being especially covered in chrome, compared to other cars of the same year. Even in the 50s when chromosaurs ruled the earth, they were relatively tasteful and subdued in this regard. They also dropped what little tailfin they ever had just as that styling fad…

Yeah... maybe if he’d done some things differently to come out with either a correct restoration or a discreetly but usefully upgraded rest0mod. But nice as it is, it’s neither fish nor fowl (and priced more like steak). Most reluctant ND in a while.

At the opposite extreme, I’ve gotten some great deals on appliances over the years on the “We girl-watch while driving forklifts and pass the savings along to you!” aisle.

And for that matter, “yacht” encompasses everything from volcano-lair types to working stiffs who make sacrifices elsewhere in their lives to go sailing on the weekends. In fact, smaller vessels are probably more vulnerable (the orcas seem to be especially fond of orking the rudder).

Seemingly normal and pleasant people “isolated in their own little mobile temples of discontent”, as J.P. Donleavy put it long before we started using the term “road rage,” let their inner monster out of the dungeon pretty easily.