Vacation: 1600 Florida spotted in Downtown Portlandia

[David Layton]

Last week in Portland, I spotted a lovely Florida 1600, pre-69, no headrests.  Sunroof and what I suspect were Borrani steel wheels.

Edited July 25, 2022 by David Layton
Added Photos

[Conserv]

Very nice. No… very very nice! With sunroof!

 

The driver’s exterior rear view mirror is in the “later”, rearward position. If the position is original to the car — and not, for instance, the result of a door swap — then we’re probably looking at a car manufactured November 1967 or later, so a 1968 model or a 1969 model manufactured before the headrests and sidemarkers appeared in December-ish 1968.

 

(Borrani steelies, made by CMR, have 12 triangular cut-outs. Alpina steelies, also made by CMR, have 15 circular cutouts. These have 16 circular cutouts, so I suspect they are e30 steel rims.)

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[AlfaBMWGuy]

Ha, that guy is not taking any chances with curb rash on those wheels even if they aren't Borrani or Alpina.  More trusting than I would be that someone paying more attention to their phone than other cars is not going to sideswipe him.

 

-Gary

[David Layton]

I was walking back from a jog through the city and waterfront, I was not going to hit it.

[AlfaBMWGuy]

Ha, yes, but you know how special this car is.  Most think it's just an old car in a weird color.

[bavariaboy]

Let me paraphrase:  It is a rare car in a rare color. But only for those of us in the know.

 

Lovely, just lovely.

[Lorin]

I for one am glad to see it being treated by its owner as a car. 
 

I would be doing the same if it were mine. 

[AlfaBMWGuy]

I for sure would be driving it as well--that's what I do with my 2002tii and my '73 Alfa Giulia Super and why I own them.  But, I'd just be parking it a bit closer to the curb in downtown Portland since I know how many people drive there living about 3 hours away.

[Son of Marty]

 

[AlfaBMWGuy]

Hilarious.  Some bit of my commenting on this thread I'm sure is related to growing up in Washington with lots of (mostly) good-natured ribbing of the driving skills (or lack thereof) of Oregonians.  I suspect it works both ways though and Oregonians think the same about Washingtonians when they are amongst their own.  But, I think we can all agree that all vintage BMW drivers are excluded from such generalizations.

[bavariaboy]

Which ever state boarders the state you are domiciled in has the worst drivers anywhere. 

Proof: when I lived in Pittsburgh the Ohio drivers were reviled for their less than safe driving skills.

 

When I moved to the Philadelphia area on the other side of the state, now facing NJ and the east, it was, actually still is the New Jersey drivers who are the worst. I am sure the NJ drivers feel that way about PA drivers to their west and NYers to their east. Yeah, it's always the other guy.

 

Steve

[AceAndrew]

Looks like mostly peaceful parking in Portland.  You have to watch out for those 02 drivers, they can be an unruly bunch.

 

-needs to get back to Powell’s Books.

[Mark92131]

The stance on that car is great.  Lowering springs or cut rear springs and coil-overs?

 

My Eibach springs don't get me anywhere near that drop with the same wheels.  I am running the IE rear 1 Dot upper and lower Urethane spring pads.  The Eibach springs were a pain to get in (very compressed) and the passenger side has popped out of the lower pad and is sitting on top, driver's side is seated correctly on the lower pad.  The 2001.002 are in the rear, 2001.001 on the front.  The trailing arms (rubber bushings) have not been torqued to spec with any weight in the trunk, but the car sits comically high.  Any ideas?

 

I have a set of IE Stage 1 springs that is suppose to provide a 1.25" drop over stock.  I will try them at some point to see if I can get it so sit a little lower.

 

Mark92131

 

 

 

 

[AlfaBMWGuy]

That does seem really high.  I'm running Eibach Pro springs with Koni yellow struts/shocks that were installed over this past winter and here's how it sits.  Mine has reworked wheel arches using the original metal so that makes it a bit hard to compare, but definitely mine is sitting lower.  It's over an inch lower than what it was before with stock springs with Bilstein HDs so the Eibach's gave the lower stance that was advertised.

 

[Son of Marty]

In western Washington we have a subset of drivers to make fun of, the Ballard driver, Ballard was a heavily Scandinavian area of Seattle with lots of old duffers, here's how to drive the Ballard way.