November Car Spottering Thread

[Robert Hall]

Beautiful weather this weekend...went out to see more covered bridges, visit a couple of my favorite beaches up in Ashtabula County (far NE Ohio).   Saw this sharp Challenger Scat Pack at one of the bridges..great rumbly sound...

[trinacriabob]

Saw the last-gen Regal sport wagon turning left in front of me yesterday.  It was a red-orange or candy apple red I've not seen before.  It looks long, especially with the horizontal metal bands in the roofline.  If it didn't have the Buick badge, you'd think it's a European car.  Well, it is.  The person driving it looked "discerning" ... that means that they weren't "Mom, apple pie, and Chevrolet" and could have just as easily been driving a Jeep or a BMW, for example.

This morning, seen going down the street from a parking lot, I saw an old Sunfire notchback coupe, like the Monza Town(e) Coupe.  It was silver with a black landau.  It was in excellent condition.  I wonder what powered it and if the engine was original.  It was worth a chuckle.

[balthazar]

‘59 Ranchero, white over turquoise, exc stock shape, on side of gas station.

[balthazar]

‘69-70, and wearing a full set of factory ‘mag’ huncaps. 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

‘69-70, and wearing a full set of factory ‘mag’ huncaps. 

Axel Foley just got 2 EXTRA doors.

[Olds Guy]

On 11/14/2021 at 12:51 PM, trinacriabob said:

Saw the last-gen Regal sport wagon turning left in front of me yesterday.  It was a red-orange or candy apple red I've not seen before.  It looks long, especially with the horizontal metal bands in the roofline.  If it didn't have the Buick badge, you'd think it's a European car.  Well, it is.  The person driving it looked "discerning" ... that means that they weren't "Mom, apple pie, and Chevrolet" and could have just as easily been driving a Jeep or a BMW, for example.

 

The Buick would have looked better minus the black cladding... like the Opel...

Edited November 20, 2021 by Olds Guy

[balthazar]

ALL SUVs look better without the black plastic trim work... but OEMs keep slapping it on.
The Buick at least has its' flush and minimal.

BTW- to me 'cladding' is extraneous trim added on TOP of the base form. Like the acres of it here, standing proud from the sheet metal of the body: 

[trinacriabob]

9 hours ago, Olds Guy said:

The Buick would have looked better minus the black cladding... like the Opel...

Bingo!  Thank you.

[Robert Hall]

Saw this clean late 80s-early 90s Saab 900 4dr sedan. Haven’t seen one in ages, seems most of that era were hatchbacks.  

[oldshurst442]

Wife driving her Fusion, I was a passenger enjoying the drive shopping around for different things.  Saw this lovely Firebird Formula V8.  Made her stop so I could take a pic. 

[oldshurst442]

Beginning of November, while changing the all seasons to winters on my car, a fine 1997 Bonnie was at the garage.  I know the mechanic so I was shooting the shyte with him until the end of the night and this pic was taken at closing time.   Suspension work was needed on it and was stored in the garage over night for the job to be concluded the next day. 

 

[trinacriabob]

23 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Beginning of November, while changing the all seasons to winters on my car, a fine 1997 Bonnie was at the garage.  I know the mechanic so I was shooting the shyte with him until the end of the night and this pic was taken at closing time.   Suspension work was needed on it and was stored in the garage over night for the job to be concluded the next day. 

 

Not such a big fan of the 1992 through 1999 Bonn(i)e.  It was too rounded and one person I know said it looked like either an upside-down boat or bathtub.  I definitely liked some versions of the very last-gen Bonn(i)e, which debuted in 2000 and had that unusual but interesting dashboard.  I also liked the first FWD Bonn(i)e, which ran from 1987 to 1991, preferring the 1990s models with the block pattern (instead of striped) taillamps.   

I never warmed up to Pontiac's orange dashboard illumination (at night).  I found it annoying.

Also, Pontiac seemingly did well in garnering Quebecois customer loyalty over the years, with so many French names across their product offerings.  People are going to respond favorably to names that are familiar (and local) to them, such as Tacoma, Biscayne, Park Avenue, Telluride, Texas edition Silverado, and, for Italian buyers, possibly Monte Carlo, even though it is technically wholly surrounded by France.

[trinacriabob]

Spotted in early November.  On I-44, between St. Louis and Branson, MO, you see these billboards for a place called Uranus Fudge Factory.  "Is this for reals, man?"  Well, it is.  It's a roadside attraction and a person can get off the freeway and buy candy, kitsch souvenirs, shirts, hats, stickers (all overpriced), and, yes, fudge.  Their parking lot was also full.  It's a freak show of sorts, but here's a photo of their "police car."  I thought the town this attraction is in might have been Uranus, MO, but that's not the name of the town.  (There are towns named Mars, Neptune, etc. in this country, but I think most states would skip on naming one Uranus.)

@balthazar will probably know the year, make, and model of this car from which the engine and all that have probably been removed.

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Spotted in early November.  On I-44, between St. Louis and Branson, MO, you see these billboards for a place called Uranus Fudge Factory.  "Is this for reals, man?"  Well, it is.  It's a roadside attraction and a person can get off the freeway and buy candy, kitsch souvenirs, shirts, hats, stickers (all overpriced), and, yes, fudge.  Their parking lot was also full.  It's a freak show of sorts, but here's a photo of their "police car."  I thought the town this attraction is in might have been Uranus, MO, but that's not the name of the town.  (There are towns named Mars, Neptune, etc. in this country, but I think most states would skip on naming one Uranus.)

@balthazar will probably know the year, make, and model of this car from which the engine and all that have probably been removed.

I remember laughing at the signs for that place on I-44 in June 2017 when I made my escape from Arizona drive to Ohio.   Went past there early (around 7am) and it was foggy.  That appears to be a Chevy 2dr sedan from around 1949.  

[Olds Guy]

This pic is not mine, because I couldnt get my phone out of my pocket quick enough to get my own pic.  But, saw this earlier leaving the local Meijer. 

[balthazar]

Co-inky-dink : I spotted this today at a new customer’s property. Owner has health issues, met him once before about 5 years ago, will be inquiring… ~  

[Robert Hall]

Drizzly cloudy 45 degrees on Thanksgiving, taken a few walks up and down my street w/ the dogs, lots of people having visitors for the holiday, and I saw 1/2 dozen current generation GMC Terrains...

Edited November 25, 2021 by Robert Hall

[balthazar]

Of course now that I have a GMC, I am seeing them ALL OVER. 
Every year 2014-2020 has been over 500K units/yr.

[trinacriabob]

Yesterday - Thanksgiving day:

Saw a purist current-gen base Dodge Charger - red exterior, black interior - pulling out of a diner (couldn't take a photo).  I realized you don't see many of the base RWD model.  Most have a spoiler, some decal options, and whatnot.

Today:

Saw a metallic mint green Monte Carlo coupe ('83 or '84, based on the color) going the other way on the freeway (couldn't take a photo).  It was in damn near perfect condition.  (How the '81 refresh helped that model, with oversized headlamps and exaggerated sheetmetal sculpting prior to that.)

- - - - -

December, and the official start of winter, are not too far away now.

 

[trinacriabob]

The cleaning up of the downsized Monte Carlo

First try - 1978

NO - I felt they had blown it ... compared to the other downsized GM A-body intermediates

- - - - -

Second try - 1980

MAYBE - the front end is definitely an improvement, as are the nicer taillamps in the rear, but the over-the-top fender sculpting remains

- - - - -

THIRD TRY - 1981 to 1987/1988

YES - this is finally somewhat of an attractive vehicle - less is more - and, with the eventual base 4.3 Vortec TBI V6 (and about 30 extra hp) over the 231 c.i. V6, it might get the nod.  

[trinacriabob]

I'll sneak this in one day after the "deadline."  Seen on November 17.

I wouldn't even remember what this vehicle was called.  It appears to be a full-size Chrysler product, a rust bucket that still runs.

The best thing about the photo is some fall color.

[balthazar]

I believe that's a Dodge St Regis, circa 1980.
That quarter window treatment always was tragic.

[Robert Hall]

On 12/1/2021 at 10:14 AM, balthazar said:

I believe that's a Dodge St Regis, circa 1980.
That quarter window treatment always was tragic.

It's a Chrysler New Yorker, '79-81.  The St Regis (along w/ the Newport and Gran Fury) was plainer without the goofy top treatment.  The only thing distinctive about the St Regis is it had a sloped nose w/ the clear headlight covers from the Magnum. 

On 12/1/2021 at 9:56 AM, trinacriabob said:

I'll sneak this in one day after the "deadline."  Seen on November 17.

I wouldn't even remember what this vehicle was called.  It appears to be a full-size Chrysler product, a rust bucket that still runs.

The best thing about the photo is some fall color.

Chrysler New Yorker...there is one around here in the same color that was in good shape when I moved here almost 5 years ago, but it got hit on the right rear corner in '18 or so...have seen it a couple times since then, still damaged. 

The short-lived R-bodies replaced the battleship C-bodies for '79, and were basically the old midsize B-body underneath w/ squared off new styling. 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Robert Hall