Find me a hardtop car.

914Driver said:

Someone here had a blue Kaiser Manhattan for sale.  Nice one too!

That'd be me. Parents actually. Doesn't fit the program here. They're actively searching for top dollar, and I've driven the thing a lot. I'd feel safer commuting on a motorcycle. Then at least I'd be able to stop properly, and get out of my own way. The Blue car is fun to look at but terrifying to drive. 

I remember riding in the back seat of a 57 Ford 4 dr hardtop. Driver took a left turn quickly, the right rear door opened, I grabbed the hand of my friend as he started sliding out the door. Luckily we only had to go back and gather our school books.

Shame you weren't shopping a couple years ago.     You could have had my '73 Imperial LeBaron for under $2.5K. A true 4 door hardtop, and HUGE.  Plus, it was local.


 


It was a great Road Trip car, and I also used it as a Daily in the summer.


 
Up in the Soo on a "Round Lake Michigan" vacation.




Later in Wisconsin on the same trip.    The ATCII worked flawlessly keeping 5 passengers cool in 90 degree July heat.

Transporting a baby in any 58-70 vehicle is a really bad idea in this day and age.

FMB42 said:

Transporting a baby in any 58-70 vehicle is a really bad idea in this day and age.

By around 1965 or 1966 they had rear seat belts, so I'd think a child seat could be safely installed in those cars.

(of course, a lot of us were raised in cars that had no seat belts at all and we're still alive... )

In reply to Placemotorsports :

Got a link. That's interesting. 

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

friendly reminder... hardtop means no B-pillar.  Some of the suggestions here are sedans.

I think the only answer here is slab side mopar... and I don't even like mopars.

Re-posting Curtis's reminder about the difference between a hardtop and a sedan, because a bunch of you missed it. 

Also, here's a hardtop

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1309245/1966-chrysler-imperial-for-sale-in-venice-florida-34293

No b pillar here- 

80s-90s Chevy Caprice Sedan or Wagon?

1966 Ford Galaxy XLT 4-dr hardtop - $7,000 (Tumwater)

1966 Ford Galaxy

condition: excellent
cylinders: 8 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 80000
size: full-size
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: sedan

1966 Ford Galaxy XLT 4-dr hardtop. Pristine condition. Burgundy, off black upholstery, 99% original.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/d/olympia-1966-ford-galaxy-xlt-dr-hardtop/7283835635.html

Appleseed said:

As much safety stuff as practical would be retrofitted. No way I'm going in there without it, let alone a baby.

Forgot to mention that. 

You can add seatbelts and power disc brakes if it doesn't already have them in front.

The real problem is that engineering for impact energy management hadn't really matured when these cars were built. Even if they are body on frame they will fold up like a beer can, and the weak point is the passenger cabin.

Cool as they are, they are no longer great young family vehicles now that much safer alternatives exist.

Glad to see everyone giving a nod to safety concerns here. I asked about this seven years ago when I became a father and got a lot of “in my day these were cars and I grew up fine riding on the parcel shelf!”

Morris industries (I think) makes retrofit seatbelts for many of the more popular applications. 

I love picking the kids up from school in my old car. I can’t imagine it being a daily driver, though. More power to you if you can make this work!

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) :

We all have stuff we don't know, so zero judgement from me.  I, for instance, seem to not know how to get a date in a pandemic.  

If you figure it out let me know lol. 

dxman92 said:

80s-90s Chevy Caprice Sedan or Wagon?

Already had one. 95 9C1. 

I mentioned baby to illustrate why coupes can be a pain in the ass for more than one passenger. This request is also just for fun. Not likely to happen, at least  not anytime soon. I understand the inherent risks traveling in old iron. This would be a weekend cruiser if it ever happens. 

Duke said:

The real problem is that engineering for impact energy management hadn't really matured when these cars were built. Even if they are body on frame they will fold up like a beer can, and the weak point is the passenger cabin.

One day I'll probably put a roll cage in my Mustang.  Not at all for racing concerns, but because I want her to be DD capable if possible, and that's the safest way I can think of doing it.

FMB42 said:

Transporting a baby in any 58-70 vehicle is a really bad idea in this day and age.

Damn shoukd have read this before putting my kids in my 48 Ford truck and my 67 Mini Cooper s (brought him home from hospital in it) 

This one turns out to be about 40 minutes from me. 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2878761855690421/

Though it is a sedan and not a hard top. 
 

It says sedan, but thats a hardtop.

It also appears to be a 2-door, not 4.

Karacticus said:

This one turns out to be about 40 minutes from me. 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2878761855690421/

Though it is a sedan and not a hard top. 
 

The ad title is "1959 Ford Five Hundred Limited Sedan 4D" which makes me wonder...obviously a legitimate seller would know their car is a Fairlane 500 two door hardtop and not a four door 'Five Hundred Limited', whatever that is.  I wonder if it's a scam.  I think it's worth more than $18.5k too.

Ok.  I gotta chime in here.  This is giving me OCD and I never had OCD.  Zero offense intended, but since he asked for a hardtop...

Coupe is not 2 door.  Coupe designates number of passengers and rear passenger space of less than 33 cu ft.  That is the US automakers' take on it.  Traditionally, coupe (from the French, Couper, which means to cut) is a sloped roof, smaller version.  It originally designated a 4-wheeled enclosed carriage for two people.

Sedan is not 4 door.  Sedan means it has a B-pillar.  There are plenty of 2 door sedans and yes, there are technically 4 door coupes.
A 2-door with a B-pillar is technically a 2-door sedan, or also called a Post

So, and RX8 is a 4 door coupe.  A Coupe DeVille is technically not a coupe, it's a 2dr Hardtop.  A late model Mustang is both a coupe and a 2-door sedan/post.

The opposite of Sedan is not Coupe.  The opposite of Sedan is Hardtop.

This is a 2dr Hardtop.  Not a coupe because it has more than 33 cf of rear space and seats 3 in the back.

This is a 2dr Sedan/Post.  Same as a 2dr HT, but adds a B-pillar

This is a 4dr Sedan because B-pillar.

This is a 4dr Hardtop (not sedan) because no B pillar.

THIS is a coupe

THIS is ALSO a coupe.

Next week's lesson, the difference between Club Coupes, Berlinettas, and 2+2s

But is it a hatchback?

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

A 4 door car, but bigg-ish.

4 door 65 Malibu

Another 4 door car, new-ish old car.

1979 Bonnieville

And old old again

1954 Ford 4 door

And corrected...