1976 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

If you like talking about cars, this is always an interesting car to talk about. Observations:

* This car was crazy expensive. In 1976, It went for about $36,000, or four times the starting price of a Cadillac two-door. I once heard that back in the day Rolls had cranked up their prices even more just to make the cars more exclusive and thus somehow more appealing to the uber-rich. Apparently, that really happened as the price of the Shadow went to about $65,000 in 1980, or $250,000 in today's dollars. Of course the cheapest new Rolls you can buy now starts north of $340,000, so never mind.

* Were these cars worth the crazy cost? Depends on how you look at it I guess. One source will tell you, "Every Rolls-Royce vehicle is meticulously handcrafted to the highest standards, with artisans meticulously shaping every curve and stitch to perfection. This dedication to quality ensures that each car is not only a marvel of engineering but also a work of art designed to stand the test of time."

On the other hand, just because something is "made to perfection" that doesn't means it's reliable or durable. The Shadow's complex braking and suspension system have given it the reputation of a car that bankrupts owners who try to keep it running. The last Plymouth Duster was also made in 1976. It sure as heck wasn't made to perfection, but it wasn't always in the shop.

 

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Old Cars in Magnolia

Magnolia is a very quiet residential neighborhood were folks can park a "someday I'll restore it" car on the street for years without any concern that something will happen to it. All the cars in this post were photographed in less than one square mile of territory near Lawton Park.

This rose pink 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood would be quite valuable if restored. But that's a big if.

This 1984 Dodge Ram looks almost brand new.

 

Little Dead Corvette. We finally found a use for the luggage rack: use it to store the driver's door panel.

The 1970s Chevy or Ford pickup we see on every block here, along with a "someday I'll restore it" 1979 International Scout II.

A car I'd really love to have. 1970 Chevy Malibu with 307 V8.

I hope the owner finishes the restoration of this very nice 1964 GMC. Also, a Chevy van from the glory days of American van culture.

1982 Mercedes 240D. These Benz diesels run forever.

1961 Ford Falcon Ranchero.

 

1989 Suzuki Carry. Another Seattleite joins the kei truck revolution.

These Chevy 3100 series pickups from the late 40s to mid-50s are now commanding five figures to buy even when they need complete restoration. This one is not the more desirable '5-window', but it has the valuable sun visor. I blogged that Falcon wagon when I saw it 4 years ago. 

1979 MG. A blast to own if you have the genius needed to keep it running.

Someone has Frankensteined the hell out of this Beetle.

Hey, 1979 Chevy Camaro Z-28, why aren't you busy terrorizing a high school parking lot?

And finally just to give you an idea how many old cars are street stored on Gilman Ave W, here we have a Toyota Camry, Volvo 200 Series and a Dodge Ram van all from the 80s.

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Old Cars in Fremont

The Fremont neighborhood in Seattle has long since ceased to be affordable for ordinary human beings, but it retains some of its quirky character in the form of a lot of old cars and trucks.

This 1949 Ford F-1 has been nicely restored. That's a pretty nice chrome grill for a working pickup from this era.

 

 

The mid-80s Chevy El Camino, still a fairly common sight on the west coast.

 

This 1976 Datsun 280Z was the first car in the series with fuel-injection. It was way ahead of the dinosaurs Detroit was offering at the time.

 

1987 Dodge Ram. Far less common that the old Ford and Chevy trucks you see on every block here.

 

1980 Toyota Celica. One of the few cars from that era that is hard to kill.

 

And finally, right in front of the Ford F-1, quite a contrast: A 1990 Mercedes 560 SEC. This car cost around $85,000 new. That would be over $200,000 in 2024 dollars.

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