Mistaken Identity

kkritsilas

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I'd like to find a Matador Coupe (the last generation one), and see what people would think it is (everything about that car is distinctive, no mistaking it for anything else). Front end, rear, side view, nothing like anything else out there. Not to everybody's taste, I know.
 

Aspen500

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You mean the bug eye Matador coupe or the other style? I almost bought one of the top photo style back around '84. I needed a car like RIGHT NOW and didn't have time to find "the one". Ended up buying a '78 Toyota Celica Supra GT Liftback (yeah I know, shut up, lol). In hindsight, should have bought the Matador but then again, a couple years later I traded the Toyota even up for a really nice '78 Cordoba so, it all worked out in the end.
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Ele115

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Those are stylish classics for their time. Tokyo's own Shelby Mustang I guess.
 

Aspen500

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Maybe mine was a '79. It's been 32 years since I owned it so the memory is hazy. Looked like this. In fact, it looked exactly like this one, including the color.
Tokyo Shelby? Not quite, lol! The carbureted straight six and 5-speed wasn't exactly what you'd call tire smoking.:D One of only 3 non-Mopar's I've ever owned. The other 2 were or are, Ford's. A '76 Elite in the mid '80's and the '08 Mustang in the garage right now.
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kkritsilas

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You mean the bug eye Matador coupe or the other style? I almost bought one of the top photo style back around '84. I needed a car like RIGHT NOW and didn't have time to find "the one". Ended up buying a '78 Toyota Celica Supra GT Liftback (yeah I know, shut up, lol). In hindsight, should have bought the Matador but then again, a couple years later I traded the Toyota even up for a really nice '78 Cordoba so, it all worked out in the end.
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The red one would be the one. I happen to like them, but a lot of people don't. I do thinl it would really throw off a lot of younger "car guys". Would be a source of amusement to see what the call it.
 

Strobo

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Off topic but that made me remember, when I worked at Directv installing dishes after only a 2 week on the job training, people would ask me, hey how long did you have to go to school to do this?
 

Mikes5thAve

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When I was 13/14 years old there was a guy with a couple old Rambler/AMC Marlins. Were all sun faded and looked tomato red. One of the first fastbacks I can remember seeing. Thought they were Barracudas for a few weeks until I snuck a closer look while walking the dog one day.
Rear end is burned into my memory but, haven’t seen one since we moved out of that neighborhood.

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I saw a marlin a few years ago while I was looking another car to buy. It was in the condition that it was about ready rust wise to go from still ok to fix up to being a parts car only. If it was local I would have bought it.
 

Justwondering

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My cousin's marlin has been rusting away slowly out in west texas.
I've tried several times to get it away from the slow death; however, her brother swears he is going to work on it any day now. (never will that happen).
Cousin died and her sister and I were working on clearing cars off the property.
Brother still won't let it go.
Oh Well.
JW
 

Duke5A

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was recently told by a friend at work "man your Cutlass is so nice!"

I got a worse one for you: I made the front page of the county newspaper years ago when I was in a local car cruise. Caption under the picture called my car a Park Avenue. Ten years later and my ass is still chapped over that. LOL
 

Aspen500

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My cousin's marlin has been rusting away slowly out in west texas.
I've tried several times to get it away from the slow death; however, her brother swears he is going to work on it any day now. (never will that happen).
Cousin died and her sister and I were working on clearing cars off the property.
Brother still won't let it go.
Oh Well.
JW
Yep, the famous "I'm going to fix it up someday". Then years later you spot it on the back of a scrapyard rollback or sitting in the scrap yard rusted in half. Have seen that WAY too many times over the years.
 
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XfbodyX

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Drive a nice F to a show and park in the normal non show lot and then have the chevy guys yell..... bring your nova over here.

Yep, the famous "I'm going to fix it up someday". Then years later you spot it on the back of a scrapyard rollback or sitting in the scrap yard rusted in half....... Just have a big heated shop, they never rust deteriorate and half still dont get done.:(
 

kkritsilas

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You mean the bug eye Matador coupe or the other style? I almost bought one of the top photo style back around '84. I needed a car like RIGHT NOW and didn't have time to find "the one". Ended up buying a '78 Toyota Celica Supra GT Liftback (yeah I know, shut up, lol). In hindsight, should have bought the Matador but then again, a couple years later I traded the Toyota even up for a really nice '78 Cordoba so, it all worked out in the end.
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Yes, the bug eyed one as you call it, or the red one with the white stripe in your pictures. There are definitely very few left, and I suspect that even fewer than that are in usable shape. Odd angles everywhere. I think the coupe was supposed to be the basis for an AMC Nascar racer, but as far as I know, it never made it. I also like the second generation Javelin. You don't really hear much about the AMC cars, just occasionally something about the AMX or the first generation Javelins, with the even less occasional mention about the Gremlin, and Pacer. Those last two cars were beaten with an ugly stick before leaving the drawing board.
 

kkritsilas

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I think they competed, but weren't very successful. Mark Dohohue may have been driving one of them. Certainly never won a champion ship, and from what I remember, only a couple of races.
 

Aspen500

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X, at least if they're in dry, heated garage they won't be outdoors on the bare ground while the entire underside completely rusts away, including the suspension and even rear axle housing. Then again, that happens if they're driven also. Had a late '90's Chevy truck a couple months ago that came into the shop where one of the rear axle tubes actually rusted off. The axle and truck are now resting comfortably out at Yaeger's Auto Salvage, lol.
 

SonOfaTomP

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I got a worse one for you: I made the front page of the county newspaper years ago when I was in a local car cruise. Caption under the picture called my car a Park Avenue. Ten years later and my ass is still chapped over that. LOL
saw a pic on instagram of a GNX in a similar color at the Car Show i go too. flipping through and saw me pulling up in my Fury on the same post!

 
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Hayzoos

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I got a worse one for you: I made the front page of the county newspaper years ago when I was in a local car cruise. Caption under the picture called my car a Park Avenue. Ten years later and my ass is still chapped over that. LOL
A guy at work keeps calling my 5th Ave a Park Ave. He knows it's not right, just can't remember. He has had three Ram 1500s since I met him. I just keep asking him how his new GMC truck is doing when he throws the Park Ave out there, I just tell him it's the only three letter truck I'm used to.
Otherwise, it has been called a New Yorker most, okay close heritage. Of course there has been the Lincoln and Cadillac mistaken identities.
 
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