May Car Spotter

[Robert Hall]

Nice sunny day today so far...went out for a short walk w/ the dogs, and saw a very clean dark mid '90s Buick Park Avenue driving down my street..

[balthazar]

Ford Model A w/ rumbleseat, dark red, rollin in commuter traffic.
circa '64 Chevy II 2-dr, white, very clean, big tires out back, behind garage.
'62-64 Corvair Monza convert, white top over black, very clean, on car carrier.
 

[Robert Hall]

Saw a very clean very beige shortbed Chevy pickup, approx. 1983 going by the grille.  Had dual exhausts and a nice rumble.   Also saw a silver Camry with a 'Camry Nation' decal...I guess every model of car has it's own fandom..

[Robert Hall]

Saw another '06-07 Monte Carlo, this one silver and very worn--one taillight cracked out, mangled rear quarter, and plenty of rust.   Saw a very clean dark gray Buick LaCrosse Super (the V8 model)...haven't seen one of those in years...

And in a bit of randomness--saw a couple driveways of cross shoppers---one driveway had a white Grand Cherokee, white Explorer, and white Highlander--all late model.  Another had a black Grand Cherokee and a black Merc GLS. 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Saw another '06-07 Monte Carlo, this one silver and very worn--one taillight cracked out, mangled rear quarter, and plenty of rust.   Saw a very clean dark gray Buick LaCrosse Super (the V8 model)...haven't seen one of those in years...

As for the Super, they are VERY rare.  Even the 3.6 was somewhat rare.  The vast majority were 3.8s ... like over 90%.  I may have found a new independent mechanic.  Seems super nice.  He said he loves the 3800 V6.

Those Monte Carlos seem to fall into two buckets - those owned by people who love them and take care of them or those that have allowed to go very "ghetto," for lack of a better word, and are falling apart in so many places.  I'm betting that a fender repair on one of those would not be fun, given the pronounced sculpting.

I talked to this guy a little bit and told him how I went through the LaX-GP-MC conundrum.  I told him of my weariness of the then "new" VVT 3500 V6 and told him that they have now been around for so long and have been hassle free for most people.  He agreed and said that when they have had issues, they have been easy fixes.  But he still seemed to favor the 3800 V6.

2 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

What is this new dialogue box?  It won't go away!

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by trinacriabob

[ocnblu]

We got a bright blue Kona Ultimate AWD in.... $29+k!!!

These are decent, I do like them, but they are kind of tiny, especially for that price.

The interior is boring... and the door armrest is not padded what.so.ever.

[Robert Hall]

Haven't seen a Kona on the road yet, but have seen several Kia Niros around.   

Saw a new brown Panamera in a driveway down my street this evening.  Much nicer styling than the 1st gen.

Random observation--Buicks seem to be quite popular in Parma, Ohio.  At my Giant Eagle grocery I saw a bunch this afternoon--Enclaves of both generations, several LaCrosses of different generations, 3 Encores, an Envision, 

Also had some tasty flautas and a margarita for cuatro de mayo..

Edited May 5, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

1949 Ford convert, bone stock & minty restored, driving for some miles behind me to a local Friday night cruise in.

[ocnblu]

10 hours ago, balthazar said:

1949 Ford convert, bone stock & minty restored, driving for some miles behind me to a local Friday night cruise in.

When I think of the 1949 Ford in context, compared to the 1948 Ford and every other 1949 model car, I realize what a yuge advance it was in styling and design.  So nice to look at.  One of my favorites.

[Robert Hall]

More Buicks...stepped outside this morning to walk the dogs and saw a very clean '68 Skylark 2dr ht in medium blue w/ black vinyl top quietly rolling down my street...

[Robert Hall]

4 hours ago, ocnblu said:

When I think of the 1949 Ford in context, compared to the 1948 Ford and every other 1949 model car, I realize what a yuge advance it was in styling and design.  So nice to look at.  One of my favorites.

It had to have been considered quite bold for it's time w/ the integrated rear quarters and relatively flat sides.   So different from the tall, humpy '48s.    Seeing a '49 Ford is always special to me, since my parents' first new car was a dark blue '49 Tudor (21 years before my time, I've seen old B&W pics of it). 

Saw this nice Fordor in Williams, Az a couple years ago. 

Edited May 5, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[trinacriabob]

Today is Cinco de Mayo.

Did anyone ever name a model of car "Alamo?"

If you can name a truck "Tacoma," then anything is possible.  Tacoma WA is also known as "the aroma of Tacoma," "Tac-town," and "Tacky-oma."

[Robert Hall]

6 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Today is Cinco de Mayo. 

Yes, yesterday was the 4th, hence my comment about 'Cuatro de Mayo'     Today I'll probably go to the beach and get some seafood--Sunset Bar & Grille in Fairport Harbor opened for the season yesterday. 

Edited May 5, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Robert Hall]

Not aware of an 'Alamo', may have been a San Antonio area dealer special at one time by someone.   Someone did do a 'Texan' edition of a car in the 50s, saw a pic of a black one on FB last week.   (don't recall what car, though).   Jeep has had Laredos for decades, sure there are other Texas-themed names out there that I'm forgetting.

[balthazar]

The Texan was a Dodge, '56 for sure.
I'm not aware of any other Texas-related post-war nameplates, but there were a bunch pre-war.
1917 Alamo, Phoenix - no vehicles produced.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Not aware of an 'Alamo', may have been a San Antonio area dealer special at one time by someone.   Someone did do a 'Texan' edition of a car in the 50s, saw a pic of a black one on FB last week.   (don't recall what car, though).   Jeep has had Laredos for decades, sure there are other Texas-themed names out there that I'm forgetting.

King Ranch, 1794 Edition, Lone Star, Chevy has used Texas Edition in the past.

Oh... and Austin.... I'm sure the Brits were honoring the Texas capital. ?

[trinacriabob]

3 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

King Ranch, 1794 Edition, Lone Star, Chevy has used Texas Edition in the past.

You can hang your hat on this.  The Texas edition of the Silverado is very much a current reality.  I photographed one, mostly the name badge, around Thanksgiving 2015 in the Houston area.

As for Subaru, they could certainly use a Boulder (CO) or Burlington (VT) package.

[Drew Dowdell]

16 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

You can hang your hat on this.  The Texas edition of the Silverado is very much a current reality.  I photographed one, mostly the name badge, around Thanksgiving 2015 in the Houston area.

As for Subaru, they could certainly use a Boulder (CO) or Burlington (VT) package.

I don't doubt you at all. I just couldn't find the package on Chevy's UBuildIt site so I wasn't sure if it was still being offered today.

[§carlet §wordfish]

Saw a VW Thing on the way to the post office this morning. I had temporarily forgotten that the Thing was a thing.

[balthazar]

^ Perhaps your brain, hopefully, was shielding you from acknowledgement of the horror.
How ya been, §§?

- - - - -
Saw yet another bentley, black on black convertible. That's 4 in about the last 3 weeks.

[§carlet §wordfish]

I've been good. Haven't really kept up with the automotive world lately. Taken up shoemaking and weightlifting as hobbies.

My old neighbor had a Thing for a little while. Like many classic VW types, the strangeness is part of the appeal. I could see it being a lot of fun to own and drive in the same way an old Jeep is.

There are two sketchy-looking used car lots I drive past ever day, almost across the street from each other. One has a '79 Concord coupe, the other has an 80s Concord sedan. I have a soft spot for late-model AMCs. I looked at the lots on Google Street View the other day, and based on the image capture dates both cars have been there since at least October 2013. The sedan especially looks in really rough shape.

[balthazar]

You might consider combining your hobbies; make really really heavy shoes and just lift those. Save some time.

[trinacriabob]

I saw a 70/71/72 (?) Monte Carlo in olive green.  It was in near mint condition.  It was driving toward me and I was going the other way.  It had that unmistakable grille.  This car had an important place in automotive history.  It put the personal luxury coupe in just about every new car buyer's reach via the Chevy price point.

Within 15 minutes of that, I saw a very clean charcoal Pontiac G8.  While I liked the G8s more than the current Chevy SS because they started at $29K (MSRP) and could be had with a V6, I still like the Chevy SS.  Either way, the lines on either of these 2 cars are timeless.

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I saw a 70/71/72 (?) Monte Carlo in olive green.  It was in near mint condition.  It was driving toward me and I was going the other way.  It had that unmistakable grille.  This car had an important place in automotive history.  It put the personal luxury coupe in just about every new car buyer's reach via the Chevy price point.

 

There is a very clean dark green one one street over from me, I've seen it in and out of it's garage a few times, but never seen the grille so I'm not sure of the year.   The most recent G8 I've seen was a dark red one in Dunkirk, NY in March.   

Edited May 6, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Drew Dowdell]

A great white whale emerged from her slumber, battery warmed up, took on a payload of fresh Tigerpaws, and trundled over to Costco to be re-shoed. First real trip out since November. It was a gorgeous day and she swims like a dream now. 75 mph and narey a vibration unlike the old shoes. She's running beautifully too. Can't wait to get her inspection done so I can drive her a lot more.

[Robert Hall]

Saw an eclectic mix of older cars this afternoon when I went to the beach.   Saw  a sharp 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T in Sublime Green w a black tail stripe and rear spoiler, a black '70 Chevelle Pro Street w/ huge rear tires, no hood and a big blower w/ scoop, a sharp black '50-51 Chevy sedan delivery, a Goodwood Green '67 Corvette, a clean silver blue w/ dark blue top early 80s Olds 98 4dr and a clean dark blue w/ dark blue top early 80s Olds 88 coupe. 

[G. David Felt]

Had dinner with the wife and daughter tonight. At the seafood place there was a brand new Stelvio right next to a Buick Rainer, if we were not running late for our dinner appointment, I would have stopped to snap a pic. I will say that I agree with the wife that the Rainier was very clean show room like for such an old SUV. 

Stelvio is just blah, nothing special about that cuv.

[balthazar]

I saw a stelvio last week. Meh.

[Robert Hall]

I was driving through a neighborhood of multi-million dollar lakefront mansions yesterday--most not tacky-blingy but older, substantial homes on wooded lots--and spied one house had two '95-97 Lincoln Town Cars (both white) in the circular driveway and a new Continental (dark blue). 

[balthazar]

Saw/ noticed my first Tesla Model 3 today. Other than the 'duck lips' nose, it's of course quite generic. Based on the number of Model S I see regularly, I expect Model 3s to gravitate to NJ too.

[trinacriabob]

Today, I focused on something appended to a car as opposed to the car.

I can't stand it when a dealership sells a car and then decides to place their applique with their name on the rear deck lid, sort of competing with the car's very nameplate.  I've always tossed the dealership license plate frames into the garage.  I did know one guy, an avid car enthusiast, who liked to get frames from a dealership if he thought the dealership had some cachet, even if he didn't buy the car there, and put them on a car.   But this was in SoCal, so this can be expected.

[Robert Hall]

11 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Today, I focused on something appended to a car as opposed to the car.

I can't stand it when a dealership sells a car and then decides to place their applique with their name on the rear deck lid, sort of competing with the car's very nameplate.  I've always tossed the dealership license plate frames into the garage.  I did know one guy, an avid car enthusiast, who liked to get frames from a dealership if he thought the dealership had some cachet, even if he didn't buy the car there, and put them on a car.   But this was in SoCal, so this can be expected.

I have the Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram (Phoenix) emblem on the back of my Jeep, but it's small and tasteful.  I did take off their license plate frame, it would have covered the 'OHIO' at the top of the plate.  I found under the back seat the original Orange Coast CJDR license frame from Costa Mesa.   

[trinacriabob]

20 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I have the Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram (Phoenix) emblem on the back of my Jeep, but it's small and tasteful.  I did take off their license plate frame, it would have covered the 'OHIO' at the top of the plate.  I found under the back seat the original Orange Coast CJDR license frame from Costa Mesa.   

If the license plate frame covers a portion of a state's name, it would then make it easier to ply the streets of Manhattan in one's sled and not appear to be as much as an out-of-towner.  Of course, the license plate base color would have to be the stock off white in both states and, in this case, it is.

[Robert Hall]

26 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

If the license plate frame covers a portion of a state's name, it would then make it easier to ply the streets of Manhattan in one's sled and not appear to be as much as an out-of-towner.  Of course, the license plate base color would have to be the stock off white in both states and, in this case, it is.

Not sure, Ohio's plates are white w red at the top, while New York's are yellow w blue. 

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Not sure, Ohio's plates are white w red at the top, while New York's are yellow w blue. 

RIght.  The one before was mostly white.  Maybe I was thinking of Massachusetts.

I like the old N.Y. license plate - dark yellow/almost orange, black letters, no bells and whistles - looked great on black cars in movies - very GANGSTA!

[balthazar]

'57 GMC pickup, teal/blue, minty restored, towing a gleaming Airstream trailer down the highway.

[G. David Felt]

Saw this Beauty when I ran to Trader Joes!

[trinacriabob]

21 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Saw this Beauty when I ran to Trader Joes!

Good grief, I see NO domestic cars in that photo - well, there's a Jeep way over by Hallmark.  Is that the Trader Joe's at or near Totem Lake? 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

Good grief, I see NO domestic cars in that photo - well, there's a Jeep way over by Hallmark.  Is that the Trader Joe's at or near Totem Lake? 

Nope Trader Joe's on Highway 99 in Lynnwood WA. They are moving to a way better location diagonal from here this summer into the old Safeway location, 4 times bigger, more parking and far easier to get into and out of.

Yup, far more Asian and German brands than American around here.

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Nope Trader Joe's on Highway 99 in Lynnwood WA. They are moving to a way better location diagonal from here this summer into the old Safeway location, 4 times bigger, more parking and far easier to get into and out of.

Yup, far more Asian and German brands than American around here.

I see a neat '80s Jeep XJ Cherokee in the background, don't see those in good shape much anymore.. 

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I see a neat '80s Jeep XJ Cherokee in the background, don't see those in good shape much anymore.. 

Lots of them around here rust free since we do not use salt on the winter roads here. They are amazingly popular still here.

[§carlet §wordfish]

Yesterday while walking downtown I saw:

Puke green but very clean 69-70 Coupe de Ville convertible

Red 80s BMW M6

Gray Corvette C7 Grand Sport

Red Jag F-type

[ocnblu]

10 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Good grief, I see NO domestic cars in that photo - well, there's a Jeep way over by Hallmark.  Is that the Trader Joe's at or near Totem Lake? 

Well there's an old Ford Escape and Focus as well but yeah, that is the west coast mentality... completely removed from the mainstream.

[G. David Felt]

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Well there's an old Ford Escape and Focus as well but yeah, that is the west coast mentality... completely removed from the mainstream.

Anything but, you seem to be stuck in a white persons mentality world. Maybe just not much multi-cultural blending of society where you live. Seattle has a huge Asian and eastern European communities and one thing I have learned, due to American Ignorance by the Auto Industry, Toyota is King especially in places like Mongolia, Ukraine, etc. The Eastern European countries and most of the Asian rim see Toyota as an auto to attain over anything German or American. Only the badge snobs see Germans as the next step up. 

I have had many conversations with people that have chosen to not buy American Auto's cause they do not see them building luxury or quality. This is the failure of the marketing of American Auto's.

[ocnblu]

16 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Anything but, you seem to be stuck in a white persons mentality world. Maybe just not much multi-cultural blending of society where you live. Seattle has a huge Asian and eastern European communities and one thing I have learned, due to American Ignorance by the Auto Industry, Toyota is King especially in places like Mongolia, Ukraine, etc. The Eastern European countries and most of the Asian rim see Toyota as an auto to attain over anything German or American. Only the badge snobs see Germans as the next step up. 

I have had many conversations with people that have chosen to not buy American Auto's cause they do not see them building luxury or quality. This is the failure of the marketing of American Auto's.

Why you gotta go all racial on here sir?  I will defend my country's manufacturing.

[trinacriabob]

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Well there's an old Ford Escape and Focus as well but yeah, that is the west coast mentality... completely removed from the mainstream.

There's that ... and more - there's a pressure to be cool and drive foreign iron, especially around people with more coin.  And younger kids and their first cars, too.  When I would tell people what I drove - either an Olds or a Buick - you could see a slight wince or the slight curling of their lip.  All of these proved to be very reliable cars, but trying to educate them would have been a waste of time, so I just let it go at that.  I am dyed in the wool B-O-P, even though there's no more O-P.  Sigh.

Edited May 12, 2018 by trinacriabob

[Robert Hall]

Anecdotally, compared to Phoenix and Denver (both largish metro areas I've lived in over the last 20 years), the Cleveland area seems to have a higher percentage of the Detroit brands on the roads and in the driveways.  Could be due to the area's auto industry history (many plants and parts plants in the area, some still in operation), and proximity to Detroit.  Though I do see a lot of Hyundais and Kias. 

[trinacriabob]

6 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Though I do see a lot of Hyundais and Kias. 

Hyundai Blvd. in Montgomery, AL and Kia Blvd. in (possibly) West Point, GA.  Both seen along the I-65/I-85 trek from Pensacola FL to Atlanta.  I did see a lot of Hyundais in Alabama.  I've acquired some respect for that brand along the years.

I spotted a Kia Amanti (with a for sale sign) or whatever the hell that upscale sedan of the 2000s is named.  It reminds me of something British and looks like it rightfully has a place in a cartoon.  I was once invited to test drive a quartet of cars and this was one of them.  Surprisingly, it handled very quietly and nimbly, but I couldn't stomach its exterior appearance.  I'll put up a few photos.

[Robert Hall]

I remember the Amanti.  The roofline looked kind of like a scaled down Town Car.  Saw a dead one this morning (had grass growing up around it).  

[Robert Hall]

Saw a really clean maroon mid '80s Continental sitting in a driveway this morning, and a clean dark green Acura CL coupe...haven't seen examples of either in ages..