Vintage cars: Readers' top photos

1950 merc

This is my 65 impala I have been working on for about 9 yrs. This year I am doing a major upgrade I took the 327ci out and am putting a 427 ci Big Block in . I am bringing it in to the 21st century by fuel injecting it and putting a 6 speed auto trans on instead of the oringinal 2 speed auto. Then I will go to the track and see what she can do. I think my wife wants to kill me!!

72 Oldsmobile Cutlass

My husband Jim Carr's 1960 Studebaker Lark as photographed in Southern Nevada. His first car was a 1959 Studebaker Lark of a similar color. His family owned nothing but Studebaker's until they went out of business because his grandfather worked for Studebaker.

1951 Henry J. I always enjoy the odd ones. My wife and I built this zippy hot rod from the ground up and took our first spin with no doors or hood, sitting on milk crates.

1972 BMW 3.0 CS coupe

1965 Triumph Herald Convertible. The car was purchased from the original family owner in 1999 and restored in 2000. The marketing advertisements show it as the cheapest four seat convertible available in the US in 1965.

1970 DODGE A-100 TRUCK

THIS 1978 VETTE HAS 16,000 MILES AND IS IN PERFECT CONDITION. IT SPENT ALL OF ITs LIFE COVERED IN A HEATED GARAGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. IT IS A INDY PACE CAR OF WHICH 6500 WERE MADE. ORIGINALLY, THEY MADE 502 OF THESE (2 FOR INDY), BUT DEMAND FORCED ANOTHER 6000. IT CAME WITH ALL OPTIONS (NO CHOICE), AND IT HAD A BASE PRICE OF 13,888. THEY SOLD IN 1978 FOR DOUBLE TO DOUBLE AND A HALF OF THE LIST PRICE. THIS ONE SOLD FOR 20,000.

Our 1977 AMC Gremlin X

1963 jeep willys pick up in the midst of a restoartion.

1964 Dodge 330 Sedan with a 426 Max Wedge

Rambler 1969 S/C Rambler - SCRambler

My 1967 Plymouth Barracuda fastback at our Burbank,CA home. This car was used in a music video in 2001. It sports a 340 V-8 under the hood with various hop-up items such as headers, long duration camshaft, and aluminum intake with Holley carburetor. Cragar S/S mags round out the package with a 727 automatic handling power transfer to the 3:55 geared positrac rear end. This car is a blast to drive and will return 14 mpg if driven conservatively(yeah right!).

1974 Lotus Europa Special JPS. The JPS "John Player Special" edition was produced by lotus to commerate their winning the Formula-1 World Championship in 1972 with Emerson Fittipaldi and again in 1973 with Mario Andretti. This picture was taken of this beautiful, well preserved, very rare sports car in the Tampa Palms section of New Tampa, Florida.

1963 Plymouth Valiant. This photo was taken shortly after restoration, In the Summer of 2006. This was my first car, bought in 1977, when I was 16. Bought it from an uncle for $75. The next picture shows me with the car in High School, where, at the time, it was voted the 1979 Class Wreck.

1956 Porsche 356 Speedster Replica

1969 Dodge Charger - Picture was taken at Cooters Place in Sperryville WV.

1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL

1974 Volkswagon Thing Acupulco model at Rancho San Sansebastian, Baja California Sur, Mexico

This is a 1955 MG TF 1500. The location is the shoreline in Palos Verdes, California overlooking the South Bay. Manhattan Beach and surrounding areas are in the background.

My 1967 Chevelle Malibu. V8 (LT1) automatic (TH700R4). Found it in a corn field filled with bullet holes. Took two years to find junk yard parts, and build the motor. (350CID) The interior is from a 1967 Pontiac GTO. Rear axle is a 1969 GTO posi, 4:56 ratio. Engine dynos at 400+ HP. It is crimson red metalic, a Corvette color. It is truley a sweet ride, and driven daily in the summer. (no rain days).

Opel GT 1900; 1970. The littel spy car that made an appearance in the TV spoof spy series 'Get Smart.' Manufactured in Dusseldorf, Germany and imported into the USA; it is a GM car. Dates of manufacture: 1968-1973. Fully resotred, 1.9 liter 4 cylinder engine, orignally yellow in color and the tail fin is extra. I was out with the car getting groceries one day...

1965 Ford Mustang Convertible. This car missed the 1964 1/2 designation by just a few days. A close inspection shows 64 1/2 wheels and hood, however the rest of the features are from the 1965 model year. The car has been shown in a variety of local car shows and is a frequent trophy winner.

1972 Datsun 240z sports car purchased new.

This is my 1959 Dodge Coronet Lancer D-500 parked next to Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach, DE. It has been repainted to the original colors of Rose Quartz and Coral. The Coronet was the base model in the Dodge line, but this car was optioned up with power windows, power 6-way seat with swivel, power steering and brakes, automatic headlight dimmer, and the high performance 383CID V8 D-500 engine.

1957 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, bullet bumpers, restored, wide whitewall tires, power windows, in family since new. Purchased from Berrang Motors, Waynesboro, VA. Garage kept. Runs well - very quiet; looks amazing. Driven since restored in parades, etc. 61,000 orig. miles. Rides like a dream.

1974 Ford Pinto Runabout 64,000 original miles 2.3-4cylinder engine 4-speed transmission factory air-conditioning factory am/fm radio

1967 Mercury Cougar XR7, All original, 289 ci, automatic, air conditioning, power steering, AM/FM radio, with overhead console. This picture was taken in the hill country north of San Antonio, Texas.

This is my 1951 Ford F-1 pickup truck, I am the 3rd owner of the vehicle (original owner bought it new and kept it on his Tennessee farm for 50 years). This picture was taken in front of my home last year. The truck is stock except for the paint and upholstery work that has been done to it. Truck has the original V8 engine and drivetrain, transmission is a 3 speed column shift, and it still has a correct and working AM radio in the dash. Odometer is curently showing 70,000 miles which is believed to be correct.

Original Owner of 1963 Corvair Spyder Convertible. Restored after spending 25 years in a machine shed. I have original order from dealership along with sales contract, and title. More Photos http://community.webshots.com/user/ljahn63

1959 9-Passenger station wagon -very rare and only one of 10 listed with the National Desoto Club. Has been used for 2 movies in 2006. Picture taken at the "Oak Grove Motot Court" at Rehobeth Beach Deleware.

This is my 1970 American Motors AMX. I found this car over the internet about 7 years ago and began trading questions with the owner who lived outside Los Angeles. He seemed like a very honest person and I decided to dive in. A friend and I flew out, found that the owner was indeed very honest, purchased the car, worked on it for a few hours and drove it back to Kansas City. While we experienced a series of unexpected events on the way, it was the "Great American Road Trip" that we'll never forget.

This is a picture of my 1954 Corvette. My car has been restored to showroom condition. This picture has been taken At the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. I have been racing it here since 1979. Since my car still has the six-cylinder with the two speed automatic, it stands no chance of winning. However, it is extremely reliable, and we nearly always finish the race.

1979 Lincoln Mark V - in the driveway - front view - 74,000 original miles

My '57 Chevy, a custom cruiser hot rod. 50 years old but with modern improvements - power disc brakes, power steering, modern A/C, etc. When I get in it to drive, I feel 18 years old again.

1959 Austin Healey 100-6, 2 seater, in front of my house in Niantic, CT

1971 Saab Sonett "Yellow Thunder" basking in autumn sun (Fairfax VA)

This is a 1960 Chevrolet Impala I purchased a few years back, still in the process of restoring her...almost there! Only 88,000 original miles, this was the last year for Chevrolet's to have fins, a true classic American car!

This is my `53 Willys CJ-3A. It's not in perfect condition, but it drives fine and I still take it out on trails and errands sometimes. I bought it in November of 1996. Here it is parked at the curb in front of my house. It was the last year that Jeeps were built by Willys-Overland. Kaiser Corporation bought W-O in 1953. This was also the last year that the L-head 4 cylinder engine was used in the CJ lineup; the CJ-3B, with an F-head engine, was introduced in 1953 and replaced the 3A. The 3B had a much taller hood than the 3A, which was much more similar to it's original design, the CJ-

This is a 1972 Cougar XR-7 “Cobrajet” convertible. "Late-classic" Cougars were notable for their coffin-nosed grille and famous sequential turn signals. Mechanically this car is similar to its corporate sister, the Ford Mustang, with a longer wheelbase for a smoother ride. Cougar buyers appreciated the ride, dressier style and more standard luxury features. Cobrajet Cougars were equipped with a special 351 cubic-inch Cleveland-built V-8 engine, an Autolite 4300 four-barrel carburetor, offset rear shock absorbers and special leaf springs. This one has a heavy-duty C6 automatic transmission

Award winning 1959 Ford Edsel Corsair, owned by my dad, Joel Mathistad, picture taken at the the hometown cemetary where he has reserved his plot.

My '65 Jaguar XKE roadster at a summer cruise in Milan, Ohio, birthplace of Thomas Edison. I have been driving an XKE roadster for more than twenty years- this is my second one. My other vehicle is the '39 Chevy pickup in the accompanying photo.

1963 Thunderbird completely restored.The year my wife and I graduated from high school.My mother had one the same color.

This car is an all original 1964 Corvette Sting Ray roadster. It is an original Red on Red which means the car has an external Riverside Red color with a matching Red interior and White Canvass top. There were a total of 22,229 Corvette Stingrays built in 1964, of those 13,925 were convertibles. This car is 1 of 3,706 with power windows and 1 of 2,310 with a special highway axle of 3:08:1. The car is equipped with an original Corvette 327 cubic inch motor with 365 horsepower (L-76). It has a four speed, Muncie closed ratio, fully synchronized transmission. This car can go from 0-to-60

As pictured when I purchased this car in April 2004, it's a 1966 Pontiac Lemans Sprint Convertible. It's my wife's daily driver during the warmer months in Norman Oklahoma.

1978 Pontaic Trans Am, 6.6 litre pontaic 400 engine and trans. All orginal, 55,000 miles. I am the 3rd owner.

This is a picture of my 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle, Clementine. The car was in beautiful shape when I got it, but the previous owner had done some incorrect things to the car -- wrong exhaust system, wrong oil cooler, and incorrect trim (it was black, and should have been steel/aluminum). I corrected those errors, and did a bit of other minor sprucing up (new sun visors, new steering wheel to replace the original cracked one, new fender stone guards, etc). I always wanted an orange Beetle, and couldn't pass this one up when I saw it. At the time I bought the car, I didn't even know h

1955 Ford Sunliner with a 272 Y-block motor and 3sp on the tree. Owned by Bryan and Dee Fridenmaker in Puyallup WA.

1950 Studebaker R2 3/4 ton pickup. This was a very innovative year with runningboards inside the cab, turn signals and electric overdrive. This clover green truck with tucson tan trim is powered by a 70 h.p. flathead 6 cylinder motor.

A better shot of the '58 Ford Custom 300 sitting beside his cousin, the '58 Ford Fairlane. I spent 1998-2001 restoring the Fairlane and 2002-2006 restoring the Custom 300. ** More pictures and background is available on both cars.

1976 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Estate wagon. ( passenger and absolutey loaded. Drives like when new. And I drive it often!

I got this 1955 Oldsmobile in 1996 for my 16th birthday. It was a picture car, which means it was used in many period movies and television shows. It's been in movies with James Earl Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

This is a picture of my 1954 Chevrolet Corvette only the second year they were built. The car has been restored to NCRS standards and has earned a 2nd Flight award last year. The car has its original 6 cylinder 155 HP engine and all its original components as it left the factory 53 years ago. Its one of the saviors from the original 3,640 built.

1961 Corvette w. 32,600 original miles - Perfect for cruising Bar Harbor and the Downeast Maine coast

1964 Pontiac GTO. Noted as the first Muscle Car. The car that started the Muscle car rage. This car has a 389 cubic inch Tri Power engine. Custom Interior and a 3:90 posi rear end. Complete frame off restoration. No bolt left unturned. Restoration complete in 2004. Actually it will always be undergoing upgrades. Picture taken off US Highway 34 in Creston Iowa at one of the first original Phillips 66 stations built in Iowa. It now serves as an Iowa tourist information center.

1968 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. Matching numbers 327. Yellow with Black Power Top and Interior. Custom Flowmaster Dual Exhaust and aftermarket wheels. This photo was taken in Nahant,Ma. Fall of 2006.

This is my baby sitting in our driveway, 1970 Plymouth GTX. Has a 440 engine in it (not numbers matching) and we have kept it the way it came off the factory. I have won numerous awards with this including 1st place at the Mopar Nationals in 2004. My one pet peeve is when people say "There's a girl driving that car!"

Hard to believe it's 50 years old! Seen daily in the Florida panhandle, this 1957 Bel Air Wagon is an everyday driver belonging to Robert Dickerson of Shalimar, Fl.

This is my 1968 AMC Ambassador DPL four door sedan. The photo was taken in the front yard of our home shortly after having the rust repaired and paint redone. It's equipped with a 290 Typhoon V8 engine with Torque Command automatic transmission as well as factory air conditioning. It has travelled approximately 280,000 miles during its lifetime, but is currently enjoying semi-retirement being used only on sunny summer afternoons.