FEBRUARY 2020 CAR SPOTTERS THREAD!

[ocnblu]

Here we are in the midst of winter in the northern hemispherical combustion chamber.  Let us defrost our spectacles, hop out of the nest and roam a bit, in search of cold weather spots!  Post 'em if you got 'em.

[Robert Hall]

Drove a couple hundred miles Friday night after flying into West Palm Beach, in heavy rain up the coast to Daytona Beach.  This morning I watched SUVs driving back and forth on Daytona Beach from my 8th floor hotel room, incl a dark red GC Trackhawk or SRT.   Rainy, foggy and windy.  Later on I-95 in GA I saw a very clean white w black top ‘70 Bonneville 4dr ht cruising along. Saw a red Challenger Hellcat Redeye widebody.    Trax running fine.  Tired, stopped early near Beaufort, SC.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Robert Hall

[Robert Hall]

Yesterday on Day 3 of my impromptu road trip didn't see too much that was interesting, even though the weather was perfect--sunny, dry and warm, though Februrary.   Did spot what appeared to be an aqua and white two-tone '57 Ford Skyliner in the woods along I-95 in SC.   Saw a clean white and yellow Nash Metropolitan driving along a frontage road off I-26 in SC when I grabbed some lunch at a Zaxby's (pretty tasty chicken sandwich).    Did see a number of sharp modern Chargers, Challengers, 300s, Mustangs, the occasional Camaro (saw more 5th than 6th gens).   Though most of the traffic was CUVs, SUVs, and trucks...was planning to stop for the night in Charleston, WV but had a burst of energy and pushed on to home..

Today been catching up on rest at home, and it got up to almost 60 degrees!  Sunny, blue sky..not what I'm used to in February in Cleveland. 

Edited February 3, 2020 by Robert Hall

[balthazar]

Saw a circa ‘76 Chevelle wagon, all white, at the tire store. Very clean.

[G. David Felt]

I spy some old american iron on my walk home today. 

[ocnblu]

Row of four 2020 Encore GX in various trim levels at a local dealer.  Most expensive one in the row has an MSRP of $36k, cheapest is $28k, all with AWD.  Buick's trim levels are confusing... "Select", "Essence", "Preferred", what a load of malarkey.

I think the exterior looks really good (Azure and orange paint colors, visual tricks to widen the look), but the lower trim interior is boring as heck in black, relying on one swath of eye-catching trim across the top of the dash to brighten it.  The upholstery is as featureless as possible.  Kia Seltos has a much more interesting interior than the Buick Encore GX, imo.  Sad to say.

[Robert Hall]

$36k for a subcompact w/ a 3-cyl.  That's pretty effed up...

[G. David Felt]

57 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

$36k for a subcompact w/ a 3-cyl.  That's pretty effed up...

Right especially when you can get other brands with 4 banger or V6. It really is messed up.

[G. David Felt]

Dropped my son off after a day of skiing at his townhouse and his neighbor had taken out of his garage a very cherry Mustang.

[balthazar]

This showed up at my buddy's shop over the weekend, has a tired Chevver 350, looking for a big block / manual upgrade. Not sure if that's going to be Pontiac or Chevy-power.
No it's not; it's a LeMans Tempest.
 

Edited February 17, 2020 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

Wow, a very rare 5.3L V8 extended length Trailblazer LT.

[G. David Felt]

Cracking up over this ford.

[Robert Hall]

Day off so out running errands this afternoon.  Sunny and 46.  Saw an eclectic mix...dark red 87-90 Caprice sedan in good shape that I’ve seen before.  Saw a clean white w tan top 77 Caddy Sedan de Ville w a custom chrome grille.  Saw a derelict ‘61 Ford Falcon 4dr in traffic, a tri-color of gray primer, matte black and rust.   Saw a pale green early 90s XJ Cherokee with Forest Ranger lettering and door shields.   Wasn’t sure if it was county, state or federal..but is something that old still in official use?   And went by the City of Parma office building and sure enough they still have their early ‘00s Bonnevilles...

[balthazar]

[balthazar]

'72 Buick GS350, big project, still has SBB 350 (with aftermarket upgrades) under fiberglass GS hood ~

[ocnblu]

On 2/10/2020 at 7:22 PM, balthazar said:

This showed up at my buddy's shop over the weekend, has a tired Chevver 350, looking for a big block / manual upgrade. Not sure if that's going to be Pontiac or Chevy-power.
No it's not; it's a LeMans Tempest.
 

I'm against clones.  I am for restoration to original, except for suspension and brakes, which I think can be done for safety sake.

[balthazar]

^ Says the guy who frantically rips the chin spoilers off every vehicle he buys.

 Seriously, there's no way to pass this off as an original. The VIN doesn't match the data plate (23567 vs. 23767), so there's another red flag.
With Judge converts being so incredibly rare / expensive, I can see a case where someone, with merely paint/ a spoiler/ decals can 'obtain' something he might never otherwise.

[Robert Hall]

This Judge convertible clone is for sale for $48k...has a 428.  I like the green.   I like this dark red '69 LeMans convertible. 

[balthazar]

428 is a rare, killer engine in the sweet spot of bore-stroke ratio. Makes fantastic power when built. I believe they were all 4-bolt main.

[ocnblu]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Says the guy who frantically rips the chin spoilers off every vehicle he buys.

Yes but that is not cloning.

[balthazar]

‘77. Lettering in back windo read “screw your ‘new car’ smell, we’ve got ‘old corpse’ smell” 

‘53 Super or Roadmaster ~ 

[Robert Hall]

Saw this clean ‘69 Cutlass in a driveway in my neighborhood this afternoon. 

[G. David Felt]

On 2/22/2020 at 3:38 AM, ocnblu said:

Yes but that is not cloning.

Got it, so you will not allow yourself to be cloned. 

[ocnblu]

57 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Got it, so you will not allow yourself to be cloned. 

Right.  It's in my C&G contract.

[oldshurst442]

I saw a similar Nissan today. White with a similar stripe. It didnt say Micra on it, just a solid black stripe with a smaller red one alongside it. It even had the same red side mirrors.   It looked good that I took two glances to see it well.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I dont mind clone versions of top level muscle cars or any model car for that matter.

Sometimes, the top trim level of a model looks better than the lesser model so he/she who wants to put all his/her time and money on HIS/HER build, its HIS/HER money and HIS/HER time and effort so they could do the hell they want with THEIR project car. Especially  as more and more numbers matching classics are becoming more and more rarer, and when one restores a classic with new vintage parts as the old original parts are so far gone with rust or impossible to repair dents and when the old big block is tired and rebuilding may not be a viable economical answer and engine swapping is necessary.

I got a problem with a clone version being sold to someone on the premise that its an original.  THAT would be FRAUD. If the seller states that its a clone, then Im all good. 

Sometimes though, to be more different, the lesser trim model looks to be more unique as most project cars all go fopr that same cloned look. 

  

I absolutely LOVE the 1969 GTO especially in The Judge clothing...but...BECAUSE there are SOOOOOO many The Judge clones out there, that burgundy LeMans is truly the most interesting between the two. 

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by oldshurst442

[Robert Hall]

Haven't had to leave the house in a few days, but sitting here watching the local news, they were showing footage of traffic downtown in the snow and saw a clean 1st gen gold Chevy Lumina 2dr turning at a light...

[balthazar]

circa '76 Monte Carlo, purpley, tired/worn, 5-slot mags, parked proudly on the front lawn of a 50s suburban house

[G. David Felt]

Have not seen a Mercury Mariner in like forever.

[ocnblu]

what is going on with the windshield

[G. David Felt]

10 hours ago, ocnblu said:

what is going on with the windshield

I use RainX so I rarely use wipers, the rain just flys off the moment I start moving.

Gotta love construction, with the Lite Rail going in here, my windshield got nailed by a big rock and cracked. Now I gotta replace that, but gonna wait till winter is over.

[trinacriabob]

Spotted on February 20th ... delay in posting

Either a '77 or '79 Bonneville base sedan - pimpy red interior (look closely for the crank windows on the passenger door) - Pontiac rally wheels - in great shape for a 40+ year old car

[trinacriabob]

On 2/17/2020 at 4:28 PM, balthazar said:

Love most Firebirds but that front fascia ruined the '77 and '78 models, IMO. Had it been a little more subtle, it might have worked.  Their switching over to rectangular lamps was a good design decision, though.

[trinacriabob]

Better late than never.  Here are some sightings from 4 days in Eastern Sicily in early February ... when things were still "normal" there.

By order of comic relief:

1.  a Subaru doubling as a police car (they have different types of law enforcement and carabinieri is one of the different departments).  A Subaru?!?

2.  They have gone nuts with these weird pastel enamel colors on small cars over there, like this pale blue-green on Fiats, Renaults, Citroens, etc.  This one is in front of a funeral home.  You can also see that people have been spending more money on their cars over there.

3.  This made for the best laugh.  It must have belonged to the guy who worked inside the gas station and ran the credit card.  I can't believe they sell these in Sicily.  I don't see a big V8 under the hood and I wouldn't assume an automatic transmission is a given.

It's fun to spot cars that are out of the ordinary from what you'd expect in a far-away place.

[ocnblu]

The Ram has a Cummins "C" emblem on the fender, so it's a diesel inline-6 torque monster/appropriate power for such a rig as that.

[balthazar]

Impossible that Ram was photographed in Italy; “the streets there are way too narrow for a full-size truck”.

I’ve read that claim dozens of times- it must be true.

[ykX]

4 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Impossible that Ram was photographed in Italy; “the streets there are way too narrow for a full-size truck”.

I’ve read that claim dozens of times- it must be true.

I have been in Italy.  Except highways, driving that RAM will be like driving semi in NYC

[Robert Hall]

20 minutes ago, ykX said:

I have been in Italy.  Except highways, driving that RAM will be like driving semi in NYC

 

Yeah...there are definitely many places it couldn't go.  I saw a few Tahoes in Rome when I was last there in '04.  But far more Grand Cherokees and other midsize two-row SUVs like Range Rovers and Mercedes G-classes.     When I drove a Mercedes A140 (1st gen A-class-- the tiny subcompact one) from Rome to Salerno via Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast there were some roads and streets where it felt too big... 

[G. David Felt]

22 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Yeah...there are definitely many places it couldn't go.  I saw a few Tahoes in Rome when I was last there in '04.  But far more Grand Cherokees and other midsize two-row SUVs like Range Rovers and Mercedes G-classes.     When I drove a Mercedes A140 (1st gen A-class-- the tiny subcompact one) from Rome to Salerno via Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast there were some roads and streets where it felt too big... 

That is where the gov needs to rebuild the damn roads. Stop trying to save every little thing built eon's ago.

[balthazar]

Ram could definitely fit thru the street pictured above.
And they do drive semi's in NYC.

Sure- some people would be uncomfortable doing either.

[ykX]

6 minutes ago, dfelt said:

That is where the gov needs to rebuild the damn roads. Stop trying to save every little thing built eon's ago.

You mean destroying beautiful old buildings to make wide roads so people could drive their big ugly crossovers? Sure ...

[Robert Hall]

12 minutes ago, dfelt said:

That is where the gov needs to rebuild the damn roads. Stop trying to save every little thing built eon's ago.

Heh-heh...with some of those narrow mountain/coastal roads there is no room for more than a narrow path...  and in the ancient cities some streets narrow down to little more than an alley.

I drove this road along the Amalfi Coast, actually scraped mirrors w/ a passing car in one small village...saw traffic stopped so a tour bus could negotiate a tight turn.   Driving in Italy is adventure, i really want to go back...

Edited May 27, 2020 by Robert Hall

[ykX]

@Robert Hall Great pictures! We have been at Amalfi Coast 2 years ago, it is beautiful.  I was considering renting a car just so I could drive on those roads but the parking in those villages is basically non-existent, so didn't want to bother.

I loved Rome, would like to go back and I would like to see the north of Italy.

I guess due to FCA there is surprising amount Jeeps, mostly some Grand Cherokees and a lot of Renegades. 

[Robert Hall]

Just now, ykX said:

@Robert Hall Great pictures! We have been at Amalfi Coast 2 years ago, it is beautiful.  I was considering renting a car just so I could drive on those roads but the parking in those villages is basically non-existent, so didn't want to bother.

I loved Rome, would like to go back and I would like to see the north of Italy.

I guess due to FCA there is surprising amount Jeeps, mostly some Grand Cherokees and a lot of Renegades. 

Yeah, I've been twice..once to Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Florence and the Amalfi Coast.   Spent a  week in Rome and a few days around the other areas.  Second trip was up north to Milan--from there went to Venice, Turin (the Italian National Motor Museum was great), Lake Maggiore and Lake Como...

I want to go back and see Pisa, Cincq Terre and the Italian Riviera..thinking that could be a French Riviera trip also.

[oldshurst442]

12 hours ago, dfelt said:

That is where the gov needs to rebuild the damn roads. Stop trying to save every little thing built eon's ago.

I disagree BIG TIME!!!

For many reasons.

And its not so much about "saving every little thing" but as much as "how the phoque are we gonna rebuild the infrastructure with soooooo many houses and business cramped into such a little space?"   

And THAT is only for a few yards squared.     Multiply that by a block or two, on one street, and then duplicate that on another street and you'll get what Im talking about.  

If not, Ill explain further. 

In other words, a few thousand miles of houses and businesses need to be destroyed to make room for bigger roads...and where do these houses and businesses go?   Its not as if Italy or Greece has wide open spaces like Canada or the US has.

In other words, every square inch in Italy and in Greece is accounted for.  And with literally THOUSANDS of years of development on every square inch in those countries, there isnt much room for huge American style cars.  Remember, Italy and Greece were built with human hands and legs and were helped with horses and donkeys.  Unlike in North America where the majority of its cities were created with the help of the railroad and the gasoline powered automobile...    

Montreal and Quebec City...  

You could see the difference with these two North American cities.  They were founded and built like old world Europe. And things are tight for the automobile in the old parts. But as both cities grew with time and became modern with the modern times,  the cities were built with the automobile in mind. Yet...because these cities are still kind of old world, both Quebec city and Montreal have not very wide streets as compared to say...Los Angeles or Las Vegas. 

Athens...Rome...

When it comes to North America's oldest cities, Montreal, Quebec City, Boston, New York, Philadelphia...are still babies in human terms.

 

[oldshurst442]

Amalfi Coast...never been. Ive been to Santorini.  Very comparable as both civilzations are built INTO the mountain side...

 

How does the Italian government BEGIN to demolish the mountain to build bigger roads to accommodate American  cars? 

And then...does the government destroy what is already built there for 1998 Dodge Ram dulies? 

Maybe my sarcasm filter is on the fritz, but...yeah...  

I dont think so Tim! 

12 hours ago, ykX said:

You mean destroying beautiful old buildings to make wide roads so people could drive their big ugly crossovers? Sure ...

And then I see it has already been covered...

 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

Amalfi Coast...never been. Ive been to Santorini.  Very comparable as both civilzations are built INTO the mountain side...

 

I have been to Greece, but not to Santorini.  I know that it's built around a volcano that "sank" into the Mediterranean and that the sand on the beach is a blackish color.

The Amalfi Coast (this ^) and the coastline further up at the Cinque Terre are more verdant, so more like the Greek Ionian islands (i.e. Corfu) and Sporades islands (i.e. Skiathos) where the hillsides are fairly green, even during the summer.  In the Cyclades, which is what most people associate with Greek islands, the look is very parched ... a lot like Southern California's interior during the hot summer.

Santorini (Cyclades)

Paros (Cyclades)

The Greek islands are overrun by tourists.  Their populations of actual inhabitants is low.  Half the population of Greece lives in and around Athens.

[Robert Hall]

I haven't been to Greece...my sister took  a cruise/tour to Santorini and other islands 20 years ago after divorce #3, went to Athens and also Istanbul.    Greece is on my to-do list. 

[oldshurst442]

Italy is on my to-do list.

As is France, England (all of the UK Ireland and Scotland is a must too)  Germany.  

France. Paris is a city I gotta see, but its Southern France that tickles my fancy the most.  Marseille and the French Riviera. 

Why stop there though?

I NEED to see Spain, and Portugal and Hungary and Austria and the Northern European countries like Sweden and Norway and Finland. 

I cant wait when I get to that time of my life when Ill be doing my world travelling with my wife. And kids if they want to join us. They will be adults by then and if their adult life will allow them.  Ive got a couple of trips planned before they become independent from us though. This year was one. But Covid got in the way.  Next year, my daughter is going to Lucerne and Zurich then to  and Italy (Venice, Florence,  Pompei, and Rome) on a high school trip and we were thinking to continue the trip as a family by joining her in Rome when the school trip is over and we as a family continue on some sort of Italian vacation. Details still need to be thought out.  Hopefully by then, Covid will allow us to travel.

The school trip is already paid for. If canceled. We will do this trip as a family anyway when travel will allow us to post Covid. 

 

[frogger]

Me too, I can not wait until we are able to relax and the max two week trips turn into two month trips where we can really just live elsewhere for a bit and not feel like we have to pack our days to get value out of the trip.  Not sure where I am looking forward to most.

 

[ykX]

Our honeymoon (many years ago) was a 5 day tour around Greece and 3 or 4 days on Santorini.  Santorini was gorgeous, white and blue houses on black volcanic rock.  I rented a tiny car and one of the memorable things we did there was when we had a restaurant reservation on the other side of the island to watch a sunset and we were running late, so I really put the pedal to the metal scaring the hell out of my wife.  We made the sunset

Athens and Meteora monastery were very interesting, the rest of famous Greek places, like Olympia for example, was just ok, not that much left there.

Unfortunately this year all our plans are cancelled, unlikely will go anywhere.  Were supposed to go to Montreal in July and that is cancelled as well.  At best will go somewhere local.

Edited May 28, 2020 by ykX