seventy2plus2 wrote:

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Never seen a 4 door bubbletop, lets see some photo's....

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 Probably the closest in today's vernacular would be the '59-'60 Cadillac 6-window and Buick Electra, which used a regular sedan roof but in 4-door hardtop configuration.

 

It's interesting how slang terms evolve in the old car hobby.  Terms which were never around when the cars were new are started by people who develop pet names for their favourite cars, and then through common use evolve to describe other cars that weren't originally described in that way.  Oftentimes the slang becomes more well known than the original term used by the manufacturer.

I remember the first time I heard "bubble top" was to describe the '62 Bel Air 2-door hardtop, which was the only 1962 GM full size to use the carryover 1961 2-door hardtop roofline.  This term was used to differentiate them from Impala hardtops, which had the more formal roofline with the creases to mimic convertible top bows.

Now it seems like "bubble top" is used to refer to any GM that had one of those smaller roofs with thin pillars and large wrap-around glass, which is a little redundant as all '59-'60 GMs could probably be referred to as bubble tops, in the way that the term is used today.  Saying you have a '59 Chevy "bubbletop" doesn't really distinguish it from any other '59 Chevy, as they all had huge expanses of wrap-around glass, and the term just doesn't define or distinguish any of those as being different from the other.  I think that now most people who use the term don't realize that it was once only used to describe the '62 Bel Airs, hence everything becomes a "bubbletop".

I thought AMC Pacers were called fish bowls or was it greenhouses?

Greaser wrote:

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I've got a 1979 Caprice, 2 door.......I'm surprised they didn't call these cars "bubble tops"

Apparently instead they have acquired another name..."fish bowl" rear windows.

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 Its Aero-Coupe on a Monte Carlo

 

My biggest pet peeve is how BIG BLOCK is used now to describe any V8 over 400 CID, and we all know there is only one BIG BLOCK 

I posted the title for this topic ... based on what the owner told me. I just repeated it because I didn't know any better. It is ignorance on my part for sure, and I am sorry for that. If this topic is offensive to anyone ... then let the moderators please remove it. I didn't want to piss anyone off ... I just wanted to help a friend list a Canadian Pontiac, to see if there was any interest in it here.

Seems like there is not really much interest in the car, which is understandable ... but it sure sparked a discussion about labels ...

GaWajn wrote:

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I posted the title for this topic ... based on what the owner told me. I just repeated it because I didn't know any better. It is ignorance on my part for sure, and I am sorry for that. If this topic is offensive to anyone ... then let the moderators please remove it. I didn't want to piss anyone off ... I just wanted to help a friend list a Canadian Pontiac, to see if there was any interest in it here.

Seems like there is not really much interest in the car, which is understandable ... but it sure sparked a discussion about labels ...

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 Sorry, I didn't mean to offend.  I just always find it interesting the way terms evolve in the hobby.  You didn't write anything I haven't already heard or read at least a thousand times, which is why I offered my commentary.

Also I apologize for helping to steer the thread off-topic.

I appreciate the fact that you went to the trouble to check out your friend's car, post photos and an honest assessment here for anybody who might have a need for it.  If I had one, I'd certainly be interested in it as a source of parts.

It's all good from my perspective... no worries on this side of things.  Sometimes conversations here end up being something totally different from where they started.  They are often interesting, even if off-topic.  This is one of those.

I will buy it, just not sure when I can get to pick it up. If I wait until scrap goes up the most I can lose is $200 bucks. That will be the the best deal I have had lately. Seriously I can see at least $400 value in parts. Please pm me a contact number.

I think you get your $200 back easily. A lot of parts on that car will fit a Chevy, that rad support looks good from here, the hood springs, glass, etc.

Good luck with it.

Don