October 2022 - Auto Spotting Thread

[G. David Felt]

Saw two things this morning while running errands.

First was a very old Chevrolet Suburban from the 1950's era in the process of being restored. It was on a trailer being towed someplace while I was driving on I5.

Second thing was a Toyota Tacoma that had an interesting bumper sticker. 

• Pro-America
• Buy America
• Anti-Trump

So not a political statement or discussion I want to start, but I am interested in what others think is meant by the Pro-America/Buy America part of this. 

IMHO I find this a contradiction that they are driving a Toyota with that part of the bumper sticker. Thoughts?

[surreal1272]

The Tacoma is built in San Antonio but still a whole lot of contradiction there lol.

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

The Tacoma is built in San Antonio but still a whole lot of contradiction there lol.

I would agree. While the truck is built in the U.S. and many parts are supplied by U.S. companies, the profits return to Japan to a Japanese corporation. I find this a contradiction that I am seeing allot this fall which I think is due to it being a mid-presidential term election year. I wonder how people can be on this Beat the American Drum kick and yet their own buying habits contradict their statements.

On the October spotting, there must be a local old car get together somewhere around here locally on Sunday as I just ran an Errand to Home Depot and on the way home, half a dozen old autos were following each other up highway 99 here.

[Robert Hall]

On my vacation last week, I did see a fair number of EVs out and about, most on the freeways and near the freeways.  Saw a couple Polestar 2s, a couple EV6 and Ionic 5s, the usual Teslas (my hotel in Erie had 6 superchargers in the lot, saw one Model S charging up)., a couple Bolts, one Lucid Air (first I'd seen in person, pretty slick).  

Once I got out into the backroads and wilds of PA, though, it was mostly all trucks, SUVs, and Camrys.   Did see a very nice green/white late 70s K5 Blazer...

Edited October 3, 2022 by Robert Hall

[G. David Felt]

50 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

On my vacation last week, I did see a fair number of EVs out and about, most on the freeways and near the freeways.  Saw a couple Polestar 2s, a couple EV6 and Ionic 5s, the usual Teslas (my hotel in Erie had 6 superchargers in the lot, saw one Model S charging up)., a couple Bolts, one Lucid Air (first I'd seen in person, pretty slick).  

Once I got out into the backroads and wilds of PA, though, it was mostly all trucks, SUVs, and Camrys.   Did see a very nice green/white late 70s K5 Blazer...

I have not seen a Polestar in the wild yet, but wow is Kia/Hyundai coming on strong as I see so many EVs all over. Becoming very common sight like Tesla. I see more Kia/Hyundai than I do the Chevrolet Bolt.

[ccap41]

I actually didn't know what it was when I saw a Polestar2 at my local Walmart a few months ago. I saw it and wondered, "this looks pretty sharp, what the hell is it?!" I had to go a little googling because it gave off Volvo vibes and sure enough, it was a Polestar2. It's pretty dang good looking car but seems way overpriced for what you get. 

[Robert Hall]

The Polestar 2 does look quite a bit like the small Volvo CUV (XC40?).  It does, though have tiny badging that says Polestar 2 Battery Electric Vehicle spelled out on the doors...the ones I saw were both generic white w/ black badging on the doors. 

Edited October 3, 2022 by Robert Hall

[trinacriabob]

Saw this yesterday ... I would not own one, but I like what they've done with it.  Not only that, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are excellent.

The sinister glance got me.  Not the color I'd pick.  I'd have to go to chart to see what they're offering.

The yellow seat belts are interesting and stood out.

Love that side air scoop.  Also, who'd have thought we'd be seeing Americans produce a mid-engine sports car? This current Corvette makes quite a statement.  I hope that it proves to be successful and reliable.

Edited October 7, 2022 by trinacriabob

[Robert Hall]

Saw 3 C8s last week on vacay…a bright blue one on a small town Ohio Chevy dealer lot, one in this highlighter yellow on I-86 in NY and a dark gray one park beside a church’s sign in Erie PA (odd way it was parked, was there two days). 

[trinacriabob]

I looked at the color chart for the current Corvette.  It's not that good, with the above color featured among 2 extra cost enamel ones and 2 extra cost metallic ones.  The standard ones are almost better.  I keep going back to silver and burgundy for this car.

Was looking at the power train.  Don't quite know if the dual clutch 8 speed transmission is something that GM (or supplier) created especially for this Corvette ... nor how it works.

[Robert Hall]

The colors I like on the modern 'Vette are the brown, bronze, and dark green...some were one year only (2020 or 2021) I think...alas, most people go for the obnoxious bright colors.

[Robert Hall]

Back from a quick trip to Plano, Texas to my company's HQ for meetings.  We took an Uber Black from DFW airport Monday--a new black Suburban..very nice.  Traffic is heavy and fast on the tollways around the Dallas area...was cruising along at 80-90.    Yesterday returned to the airport in an Uber Tesla Model 3.   Reasonably spacious inside for 3 passengers+ driver...very minimalist dash, plastics seemed relatively cheap.  Huge rear window/skylight.  Decent headroom but have to watch the sloping roofline getting in/out of the backseat.  Strange door handles inside and out.   Fast, but a lot of tire/wind noise on the freeway.  Sitting in the back it was fun watching the battery gauge go down just like on a cell phone..the side/rear view camera views on the screen were neat when passing.

Didn't see much of note around the hotel or the various restaurants/venues we went to in the Plano/Frisco/Addison area, but did see a couple Hellcat Challengers (one orange, one purple), a matte black Lambo Urus (first one I think I've seen), a sharp dark green modified early 70s Camaro on the freeway,       Saw lots of trucks.   Rode in a coworker's current gen F150 super crew..big interior, comfortable.

Did see Toyota's massive US HQ, less than a mile from my office.

Had some good BBQ yesterday, sampled a variety of local beers over the 3 days. 

Edited October 13, 2022 by Robert Hall

[Robert Hall]

At the dealer for some service, wandering around checking out their inventory.  Only 1 WL GC on the lot, a black 4xe at $60k.  Several new and used Wagoneers in the $70-85k range (hilarious, they had a white Wagoneer for $84k w/o a sunroof...).

  A well worn used Tesla Model Y.   A clean ‘16 CT6 AWD 3.0TT ($32k w/ 73k miles) ‘16 C7 ($36k) and a ‘23 C8 ($84k) Lots of new and used Chargers and Challengers.  
 

Edited October 15, 2022 by Robert Hall

[G. David Felt]

Ran some errands today and saw a number of interesting sites.

• Like New Chevrolet GEO that has a Classic Auto license plate. Built from 1989 to 1997, Amazing that someone kept it in such good shape for the old guy driving it and he had it licensed under the classic auto licenses.
• Oldsmobile Aurora, still running, but wish I could have grabbed a picture, back end and front end held together with black duct tape. RIP
• CT6 V, saw it ahead of me, my wife recognized the V on the rear of the CT6. Rare auto indeed. 

[trinacriabob]

New York City spotting ... by borough!

MANHATTAN

a Dodge Charger (in a color I like) crossing west to east through Times Square

a Pontiac Grand Prix near Washington Square Park (NYU area) - I asked if it had a 350 ... no ... a 301 ... no ... it had a 400 ... it's a 1977 in excellent condition and with yesteryear's color combos, and overstyled as hell ... we're talking 45 years worth of car!  Cars used to have so much personality.

BROOKLYN

a boat-tail Buick Riviera ... not my favorite specimen, but an unforgettable and polarizing design before it returned to being more "mainstream."

an Olds Ninety-Eight, but not offered in Regency trim in those days @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY

It makes it an even bigger treat (no trick) to see unusual cars in places like NYC in temperate enough October weather.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

This is a nice 1964 Oldsmobile  Ninety Eight and a nice 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix bringing more Pontiac excitement to the gallon back in the day!  Thank you for sharing..

 

 

[trinacriabob]

9 hours ago, NINETY EIGHT REGENCY said:

This is a nice 1964 Oldsmobile  Ninety Eight

 

I had forgotten "The mark of great cars" campaign.  "We build excitement," even if they sometimes didn't, sounded better.

As for the GP in the vid, I think they showed it the way they did to align with the base price displayed.  That would have been a 49-state car with the 301 V8.  (Calif. had to go with the 350 V8)

I don't think the idiot light grouping, the base cloth bench seat, and the black seat belts helped.  Shown with more up-level options, the commercial would have been a bigger hit.  And, showing the GP in motion would have helped make for more "excitement."

I think I liked the '76 a little more, especially in the simpler rear taillamps.  The GP medallions made it look like too much of a luxury car.  As for the front grille, it's a toss.

Thanks for the update on what that Olds was.  That it's a '64 seems plausible.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

 

[trinacriabob]

6 hours ago, NINETY EIGHT REGENCY said:

 

I have seen the first vid before and it's cool how it chronicles the car (they had NO idea what they'd be getting 2 years later ... haha).  

In 1978, both the intermediates (Cutlass, Regal) and the PLCs (GP and Monte Carlo) went onto the same chassis AND wheelbase.  I sometimes wonder if the '76 and '77 GP had been put onto the shorter wheelbases - and the finned fender tops and the beltline sweeps were toned down somewhat - if it would have snagged some of the Cutlass (and Regal) coupe sales during those same 2 years. 

In the first commercial, the camera effectively pans the beautiful sweep of Pontiac dashboards at their peak.  That dash, and that of the (G)LM of the same years , was a standout.

The second video shows that that vehicle is registered in Quebec.  Canadians, and especially French Canadians, loved Pontiacs.  The predominance of French nameplates didn't hurt that marketing effort.

[trinacriabob]

Backtracking to October

A Charger exactly the way I would have ordered one, based on the exterior, if in the market.  It's the $30K base model (no spoiler).  Adieu, Dodge Charger as we know it and which has aged like a fine wine.

I don't see many of these post-Dust Buster minivans anymore.  This is a Chevy Uplander, which might have been named a Chevy Venture.  These ran with Chevy built 3400 V6s, which held up well in Impalas and Monte Carlos.  I would have probably liked the BOP equivalents (Terraza, Silhouette, and Trans Sport) a little more for their slightly better styling and how they're trimmed out.

Here's a Maserati coupe, but don't know which model it is.

Lastly, here is something I've never seen before.  This Mustang has a license plate from Canada's Northwest Territories.  It says "Spectacular Northwest Territories" and the plate is shaped like a polar bear!  What?  A RWD car in the Northwest Territories?

Edited November 23, 2022 by trinacriabob

[Robert Hall]

Those funky NW Territories plates are indeed a rare sighting in the US.  The only time I've ever seen one in the US was in Denver about 20 years ago.  Most of my Canadian coworkers were from Regina, SK and had been in the US 5-10 years when we worked together, but there was one guy who had just moved down from the NW Territories...and....he had a red '96 Mustang GT.    After a few years in Denver, he replaced it with a black '06 Mustang GT.   He was an SUV denialist, and used Blizzaks in the winter.  

(When I lived in Colorado, I had my '87 Mustang GT, but I would never have had it an only car...my '00 Grand Cherokee was more appropriate for year round use in the Centennial State). 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Robert Hall

[trinacriabob]

On 11/24/2022 at 9:25 AM, Robert Hall said:

Those funky NW Territories plates are indeed a rare sighting in the US.  The only time I've ever seen one in the US was in Denver about 20 years ago.  Most of my Canadian coworkers were from Regina, SK and had been in the US 5-10 years when we worked together, but there was one guy who had just moved down from the NW Territories...and....he had a red '96 Mustang GT.    After a few years in Denver, he replaced it with a black '06 Mustang GT.   He was an SUV denialist, and used Blizzaks in the winter.  

(When I lived in Colorado, I had my '87 Mustang GT, but I would never have had it an only car...my '00 Grand Cherokee was more appropriate for year round use in the Centennial State). 

I had never seen one before until I took this photo.  I love those plates.

Another RWD car from the Northwest Territories ... taken down to Denver.  Interesting.  What's interesting is how there's a link (possibly energy sector driven) between places like Denver and Alberta (Calgary) and Saskatchewan.

As for Denver, I remember when it was way less expensive.  And when I took a cool little Buick Century 3300 rental that ran very quietly and thriftily from Denver Airport to Boulder to Estes Park and over some high mountain road that took me to Idaho Springs from where I got onto I-70 back down to the city.  That whole circle trip that day was sublime.  No mountain lion or bear sightings or encounters, either.

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I had never seen one before until I took this photo.  I love those plates.

Another RWD car from the Northwest Territories ... taken down to Denver.  Interesting.  What's interesting is how there's a link (possibly energy sector driven) between places like Denver and Alberta (Calgary) and Saskatchewan.

As for Denver, I remember when it was way less expensive.  And when I took a cool little Buick Century 3300 rental that ran very quietly and thriftily from Denver Airport to Boulder to Estes Park and over some high mountain road that took me to Idaho Springs from where I got onto I-70 back down to the city.  That whole circle trip that day was sublime.  No mountain lion or bear sightings or encounters, either.

When I worked for this company (a workers comp insurance software company based in Denver, founded by Saskatchewan natives) there were at least 50 Saskatchewan transplants working there...all knew each other from elementary school/high school/etc in Regina...15-20 years later, many still live in Denver and work for what the company morphed into, many are spread out across the country...

I do miss the mountains.  I think I'm going to take a week or so trip next year and go visit friends in Denver and drive around the state. 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Robert Hall